Enough
by Sunny-Donna
Summary: Barry Allen grew up as an orphan. When he meets Iris Allen, he finds himself thrilled to meet her family. When Barry meets Wally, he's appalled at the way his father treats him. For Wally, he's never been enough for his parents. He longs to be like the Flash, who's enough for all of Central and Keystone and the world! Can Iris and Barry show him he's enough?
1. Chapter 1

**Second plot from YJ-Anon-Meme. Again, AMMO121 is the genius fueling this. Anyways, I'm updating this every other day, mostly because unlike Bat-Clan Wally, I haven't gotten that far ahead with the story that I can post daily chapters. So next update is Tuesday! Also, for the record, I do not condone verbal abuse, and neither do Barry and Iris. But they really can't do much because Rudy and Mary are good parents in the eyes of the law, despite Wally being verbally abused. **

**Disclaimer: Don't own anything but the writing and some plot ideas. **

* * *

Barry had never been part of a big family. He had been orphaned as a young boy after his mother's death, and never been adopted. Being an orphan with no siblings had made him relish the idea of a large family. Iris had a brother and a sister. She herself had been orphaned, however, Iris had been adopted as a baby. Iris was close to her father and sister-in-law, so it was no surprise when after seven months of dating, Iris asked if he'd want to meet her family. Barry had been completely enamoured with the idea.

Iris's father, Ira West, was a physicist and a brilliant man. Barry had been enraptured by her father, and after that, had looked forward to meeting the rest of Iris's family.

The next member of her family that Iris introduced him to was her older sister Charlotte. Barry couldn't say he was impressed by Charlotte. She and her husband Edgar seemed to think they were on top of the world since Edgar had made a small fortune as a jeweller. While Barry did think the man was a suave businessman, and their daughter Inez was cute (when she was quiet), he found the family to be entirely too pretentious for an ordinary man like Barry Allen.

Barry was entirely happy when their visits to Charlotte and Edgar became once a month, awkward dinners in public restaurants. He was even more happy that as he and Iris grew closer and closer, that Ira would invite them over almost every weekend. Unfortunately, the man had a tendency to forget he had invited them over, and it took Barry almost two months of meeting Ira to get over the awkward feeling that came with arriving for lunch only to find out Ira had already eaten and was planning to take a nap.

By this time, Barry had become comfortable with Iris's family just the way it was. So, when Iris mentioned her brother Rudolph 'Rudy' West was moving from Blue Valley, Nebraska, to Keystone City, Barry hadn't been very enthused. Iris had told him that Rudy was a lot like Charlotte in his mannerisms, and Barry had translated that for sister-speak to 'He's sort of a pretentious bastard'. His wife Mary was apparently meek and quiet and Iris had relatively little to speak about her beyond the fact that they got along fairly well. They had a son, Wallace, who Iris was tremendously fond of for reasons she hadn't really elaborated on when they'd talked about the Wests.

So after a gruelling hour long car ride (because hello- speedster in a confined box moving at a mere 80 kilometres per hour) they had come to the West household. Standing outside the door, Barry had felt undeniably nervous. He wasn't sure how he'd feel if another one of Iris's siblings turned out to be, well, hard to be around. But he was going to try.

"Iris!" said Rudolph, as he opened the door, a beaming smile on his face.

The man was tall, taller than Barry, and with brown hair that was a dark colour, like the color of burnt toast. He had a beard too, a scruffy beard. But he wasn't wearing a suit like Edgar had when Barry first met him. Just jeans and a flannel shirt. The man lead both Iris and Barry into the small town home. The living room was to the left, with cozy brown couches, and a small television. The long entrance hallway lead to a small kitchen and a small backyard out there. Upstairs were two bedrooms. Overall, the house was tiny, and Barry felt strange as he looked over the Wests situation. It was completely different from the pretentious Rhodes, so why did Iris think Rudy was pretentious?

"Nice to meet you Barry," said Rudy politely, "Iris told us a lot about you."

"The pleasure's all mine Rudolph," said Barry with a grin, "And I can tell you everything Iris has said was probably the cold hard truth. Once a reporter, always a reporter."

Rudy gave a pleasant chuckle, and Barry found himself chuckling as well. Iris smiled, looking pleased as she sat beside Barry.

"Mary!" called Rudolph loudly, "Iris is here!"

Five minutes later, a red-headed woman pattered into the room. She was holding a small, red-headed six year old on her hip. He was clutching a Flash action figure to his chest, and he was clinging to his mother like a koala bear. Barry couldn't even make out the boy's eye colour. Nothing like two-year old Inez and her bratty tantrums for attention.

"Who's this little man?" asked Barry, grinning as Mary said her quiet hellos and sat down beside Rudolph, Wallace still clinging to her.

"Wally, Barry asked you a question," said Mary softly, as her son nuzzled deeper into her neck.

To Barry's surprise, a dark look flashed on Rudolph's face, before it disappeared for a jovial smile. He lightly nudged his son, who snapped to attention, and continued clinging to his mother. Barry felt uneasy thinking about that dark look and the boy's behaviour.

"I'm Wally," said the boy softly, before burying his face in his mother's neck.

"He's shy," said Rudolph, a tight smile on his face, "Nothing like I was at that age. No idea who he gets that from, since Wests are never this quiet. Anyways boy, go play upstairs."

"Ah, is that a Flash toy?" asked Barry, glancing at the action figure.

Wally nodded, but kept his face in his mother's neck. Barry's heart broke at the obvious reluctance from the kid. He was usually pretty good with kids, with or without the mask. He felt Iris's hand on his, giving him a gentle squeeze. Despite the fact that she didn't know he was the Flash, she knew Barry liked kids and was naturally good with them, for the most part.

"Wally, go upstairs," said Rudy, sounding a little angry. Barry had no idea why the man seemed so agitated.

Wally slipped off his mother's lap, threw a reluctant glance her way, and then was out the door immediately. Mary didn't even flinch. She merely took the opportunity to sidle closer to her husband, playing the role of devoted wife to a T. Barry watched him go, marvelling at the kid's speed. For an ordinary human, the boy was fast.

"He's a fast runner," said Barry with ease, "Does he play any sports?"

Apparently, that was the wrong question to ask. Iris's hand suddenly squeezed his so tight that the blood circulation nearly cut off. Mary stiffened and her hands folded in her lap. And Rudy's face darkened again, before the man laughed, a bit of a bitter edge to it.

"I wish! Boy's too full of daydreams," said Rudy with a sigh, "He's too shy to get on the field and talk to anyone, and he's terrified off the other kids. All he does all day is read books from the library or watch T.V. Lazy, that's what kids of this generation are like. Back when I was his age, I loved playing outside with the other kids. There hasn't been a single West kid that's ever been as- as- antisocial as that boy. Even Mary was a social butterfly back in school. I have no idea why he's like that."

"Dad was pretty antisocial," said Iris quickly, "And Wally is a lot like our dad. Who knows, maybe he'll turn out to be a genius like his grandfather."

While Mary shot Iris a grateful look, Rudy's fists clenched, and Iris looked uneasy. Barry felt like a stranger in this household, and a little on edge. Apparently bringing up Rudy's son or father to the man opened up a can of worms in the house that lead to, well, this.

"Just what I need, a crackpot for a boy, just like _my_ father," said Rudy bitterly. Barry tried to hold back the frown, but his eyes must have shown some irritation. The way Rudy stressed that Ira was his father, it made Barry uncomfortable, like he was trying to suggest that he wasn't Iris's father. A tense silence hung in the air.

Finally, Mary opened her mouth and stepped in to say, "It's probably just a phase dear. He'll grow up and out of it, into a man just like his father."

"He better," said Rudy.

But Iris wasn't pleased. Her expression had changed to that of a hell-cat's after Rudy had insulted their father and herself, and she had a sour look on her face. Barry could sympathize with her, and felt a tug of pity for the little boy if Mary wanted her son to be like his father instead of his grandfather. Apparently, neither Charlotte nor Rudy could see the sheer brilliance in their father that Iris could.

After that, the conversation turned to lighter topics, such as Iris, Barry and Rudy's respective jobs. Iris and Barry's jobs were so intertwined, with Iris being the lead reporter for Central City, and Barry's job as a forensic scientist, that often times their stories overlapped. Rudy's job, however, was that of a mechanic, and his stories weren't as exciting as either of theirs, but there was far more humour. Despite his flaws, Rudy was a wonderful orator, and he knew how to entertain an audience.

"We had a wonderful time today Mary," said Iris, as the day came to a close, "If you ever need anything, Central's only an hour away. Please, don't hesitate to call."

"Thanks for everything Mary," said Barry with a smile, as the woman gave him an awkward hug, "And it was a pleasure meeting you Rudy. You both have a wonderful home."

"It was our pleasure," said Mary with a smile, "I want to go to Central's mall sometime next week. Maybe we should meet then, Iris?"

"That would be perfect," said Iris with a smile.

Before Mary and Iris could take off about their shopping trip, Barry moved to open the door. He didn't want to get stuck stabbing for conversation with Rudolph. Despite the man being a great talker, they hardly had anything in common. It was difficult to relate to Rudy.

He was interrupted, however, by a loud crash. The sound of a thud rang in his ears, and his first instinct was to check for property damages. However, to his relief, it had come from upstairs, where Wally was. Barry glanced at Rudy, who's face had tightened, and Mary, who had hardly flinched, and assumed this sort of thing was a regular occurrence.

"Boy! What happened?" called Rudy up the stairs.

From the side staircase, the small boy appeared, carrying the Flash action figure with him, and holding onto the railings. Barry's eyes zoned onto the figurine, and he felt a quick smirk tugging at his lips. The next time he met the kid, he'd make sure to talk about the Flash.

"Well?" demanded Rudy, looking stern.

"Dropped my lego set off the bed," said the boy quietly, so quietly that Barry almost had to strain his ears to hear.

"What was your lego doing on the bed?" asked Mary, looking taken aback.

"I was playing," said Wally weakly.

"Not your Flash game again, was it?" asked Rudy angrily.

"Flash game?" mouthed Barry to Iris, who gave him a glare.

When the boy didn't respond, his mother sighed, "I told you no legos on the bed Wally. Pick it up, and we'll talk about your punishment later."

"Yes'm," said Wally, before running back upstairs to his room.

"Flash game?" asked Barry, trying to sound good-natured and amused rather then derogatory. He'd learnt quickly that Rudy could take the slightest thing as an insult.

"He's fond of the Flash," said Mary with a sigh, "He likes to re-enact Flash scenarios with his lego bricks. We bought him his first action figure for Christmas this year, and he's been hooked ever since."

"It's a stupid past-time if you ask me," said Rudy loudly, and Barry was sure the boy upstairs could hear, "Boy's got a head full of clouds. Told his teacher he'd grow up to be a super-hero! I have no idea how I ended up with him for a son."

Barry's jaw nearly dropped at the viciousness of Rudy's last statement. He didn't have any kids, and his memories of his mother and father were few and from his oldest memories, but he was certain you didn't say things like that around your son. Even if he was only a floor away. Barry was positive even Superman could hear him all the way here in Central City.

"Just a phase," said Mary, smoothing her hands over her skirt.

"Right," said Rudy bitterly, before forcing a twisted smile that looked painful, and saying, "Well, see you around Allen."

"Yeah, see you," said Barry with a weak smile.

"Bye Mary, Rudy," said Iris, pressing a kiss to each of their cheeks.

The two of them walked slowly to the car. Barry was driving, so he was gentle to turn the ignition on, and drove a little slower then the speed limit. He really wished he could just slam the gas pedal and drive out of the house before he became witness to another scenario of crazy parenting from Rudolph West, but then, being a speedster and a cop meant abiding speeding rules lest he let his speed get a little out of hand.

It was only when they were a good distance away that Iris finally spoke again. Her voice was low and miserable as she said, "I'm so sorry."

"About what?" asked Barry kindly, though he had a fair idea.

"Rudy- He wasn't always like that," said Iris quickly, defending her brother, "He wasn't always that bitter or mean. After Edgar and Charlotte became quite successful, and I got my job, Rudy's always felt bitter. He never went to university because he wanted to play football for a career and that didn't pan out. Then a knee injury put him out of commission, and well, he became that. And by then I was going to university, and dad didn't have as much money for Rudy so he sort of fell through the cracks."

"He's- different," said Barry, trying to find the right thing to say, "But well, he's not- He's not- Wally isn't-

"Oh gods no! I made sure to check on that," said Iris immediately, "As far as I know, he only verbally abuses Wally. And he's such a sweet kid Barry. He doesn't deserve that. I wish you'd had a chance to interact with him more. When I was younger and in university, Rudy and Mary lived near my school. I used to babysit him all the time. They only moved to Blue Valley when he turned three and a half because they wanted the more suburban lifestyle, which was a half a year after I graduated and then I moved to Central for better job opportunities."

"And you're doing pretty well for yourself, if I must say," teased Barry lightly, more taking on a more serious tone, "Has anyone ever- intervened?"

"I used to fight with Rudy about it, but Mary, she- She's his enabler. Whenever I tried to point it out to her, she'd blame Wally, say he's going through a phase and he'd get over it and Rudy would be happy. I love Mary, but she's too fixated on this perfect family ideals and too in love with Rudy, that she'd never step up and protect her son because that means accepting that Rudy's wrong and that he's not a good father," said Iris with a sigh and an angry, dejected look on her face, "That's why I didn't want to introduce you to Rudy and Mary for so long, and why I cut back on visits to Blue Valley myself."

"Hey," said Barry, taking her hand, "I don't care if he turned out to be one of the Flash's rogues! I'm not dating Rudolph West, I'm in love with Iris West, and I can deal with the in-laws. Besides, I love your dad too much to leave you now."

"I always knew you were only in this relationship to talk nerdy with my father, babe," said Iris, but her lips twitched with amusement, and the pained look lessened.

"Besides, now that they're close by, maybe we can have Wally over a bit more?" offered Barry, "I mean- if you'd want him in your house."

Iris grinned, and laughed as she pressed a kiss to Barry's cheek, "Was that a sly way of asking me to move in with you?"

"If it was, would you say yes?" asked Barry with a chuckle, "But- I mean- Only if you're ready!"

"I don't think I'm quite ready to take that plunge," said Iris seriously, "But I'm glad to know that my family hasn't scared you off from a future with me."

"Hey, I'm a brave man Iris West," said Barry with a grin, "Throw me your worst."

Iris laughed, and like that, the two of them had a clear air. It wasn't one of their best nights. Nor was it quite a happy memory, but it was something. A sort of unity between the two of them to ensure that there would be a future.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: You know.**

**Anyways, so first off, school. ugh. This morning was really awkward. I lost my schedule that my school mailed out over the summer, and if you want a new one from the office, it's twenty bucks (Serious rip-off), so instead I followed a friend around since our schedules are the exact same thing. Except for the part where her morning philosophy teacher isn't my morning philosophy teacher and I ended up sitting through the wrong class :/ **

**Even worse, my Guidance counselor is my philosophy teacher, and she knew I was at school that day because I'd emailed her about the schedule thing, and she thought I was ditching... Summer has fried my brains and now I'm paying for it :( **

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**Becoming Buddies**

The next time Barry saw Wally was two weeks after the tumultuous first meeting with Rudolph and Mary West. Iris and Mary had decided to take their shopping trip, and Barry had unknowingly planned a date night for himself and Iris. All of the Central City Rogues were locked up in Iron Heights, and the next few weeks Barry anticipated the Flash wouldn't have a lot of work to do. With this opportunity of time on his hands, Barry had decided to surprise Iris by bringing the date to her. Especially since work had been so busy for the both of them. So busy that Iris didn't even have time to comment about Barry's tardiness.

What he hadn't expected was Iris to open the door and lead Mary and Wallace in behind her as he started cooking the spaghetti. He'd already eaten his speedster fill before the date, as a precaution when meeting Iris. However, he'd made a lot of food, both to ease Iris into the fact that Barry had a large appetite for the eventual day when he'd have to tell her about the Flash and because he'd been a little overexcited at their first night alone in two weeks.

"Oh!" said Mary, surprised at seeing Barry, "I didn't realize you'd have company tonight Iris."

"Barry, what are you doing here?" asked Iris, surprised herself as she looked over at her boyfriend.

"I er- I thought I'd make us dinner," said Barry, feeling the blush on his cheeks, "I- I didn't realize you had Mary coming over."

"Ah- maybe Wally and I should head back home," said Mary quickly, her own cheeks pink as she realized she'd interrupted a date night.

"No- No it's fine," said Barry with a wide smile, "I've made a lot to eat, and the more the merrier. Besides, Iris told me how important you and Wally are to her."

"Stay Mary," said Iris firmly, "It's not often Rudy goes fishing with his friends for the weekend and we get a chance like this, and Barry doesn't mind. Besides, Wally wants to stay, don't you?"

Finally, Barry got a glimpse of the kid, clutching his mother's legs as he poked his head out and gave a tiny nod. Barry was amazed. He didn't think the kid had it in him. Iris beamed widely, before reaching down and scooping the boy up into her arms with a practiced ease. She'd be a good mother someday- and he wasn't going to think about that. Instead, Barry concentrated on Wally, who was settled on her hip, still carrying the Flash figurine. Dressed in a yellow shirt with the Flash lightning bolt in red, and a pair of blue jean shorts, he looked the part of the little Flash fan.

"Hey there kiddo," said Barry with a smile to the boy, "You remember me? I'm Barry."

Wally eyed him suspiciously, his hands clutched around Iris's neck. Those green eyes, which Barry knew he got from Mary- but god they looked so much like Iris's- stared at him with both curiosity and slight fear. It was both adorable and heart-breaking. Barry prided himself on the fact that he was, what he considered, an approachable man. In fact, at the CCPD offices, he was the one often asked to speak with the kids if the child specialist was unavailable.

"Why don't you and Barry get to work in the kitchen Wally, while your mommy and I talk in the living room," suggested Iris.

Wally's eyes widened in alarm, but before he could refuse, Barry tacked on, "I'm a huge Flash fan, Wally. And I'm a forensic scientist, so I work with the police and the Flash. I'd love to talk about the Flash to another fan."

He felt a bit cheap using that story since, well, he was the Flash. But he was curious about this quiet little boy, who Iris adored. He wanted to be a part of Iris's life. And he really wanted to have at least one member of her family to talk to besides Ira if they ever had to go to one of those reunion things. Even if it was a kid.

"Really?" asked the boy curiously, his eyes wide, this time with curiosity and lacking that fear that he'd had initially, "Do- Do you_ know_ the Flash?"

"Ah- I've met him once," said Barry easily, "For a case."

Iris beamed as she set Wally down on the ground. He slowly padded towards Barry, the figurine still clutched in his hand. Mary smiled hesitantly at Barry, before the two women headed to the living room. Wally stayed a good distance from Barry, and kept his eyes trained to the ground. However, Barry pretended not to notice as he began spinning the story of how Barry had met the Flash.

Wally came closer, slowly, like a puppy. Eventually, he was standing right beside Barry as he began draining the water from the now boiled spaghetti. Wally was staring at him with awe and adulation, and Barry couldn't help but feel a little smug at the victory. He was careful as he spoke, making sure not to startle the boy, and keeping his voice soft and comforting, like he does with the kids he'd had to interview from abuse cases. The idea was frustrating and sickening. Especially when Barry realized how helpless he was as both a cop, and a superhero. The idea was laughable if it wasn't so twisted.

"And that's the story of how I met the Flash," concluded Barry, glancing down at Wally with a kind smile, "How about you- Why do you like the Flash so much?"

Wally was quiet, and he looked shyly back to the ground, those big green eyes looking uneasy again, and that was upsetting. But it was worth it, when Wally shyly answered, "He's a hero! He helps people, and he's really nice. Everybody likes Flash, because he's the Flash! Nobody's faster than the Flash- he can save everybody! He's- He's the Flash!"

The answer was so generic, really. Barry had heard it countless times, but there was something in the way this kid said it. Like he believed it with his whole heart. Maybe it was because it was the first time he'd heard the kid speak so much. Maybe it was because the kid had never been so enthusiastic around Barry before, but whatever it was, it warmed Barry's heart. It was one of those cheesy-feel-good moments, but not in a sarcastic way. There was just something about this kid that made the smile on his face widen, almost hurting as it stretched across his face.

"Yeah, he's really something, huh? Y'know, I bet the Flash would really like you kiddo, he'd like you a lot," said Barry easily, and Wally gazed at him in awe.

"You think so?" asked Wally, trembling in his place, "You think he'd like me? Are you sure?!"

The quiet, almost desperate plea in that voice made Barry clench his fist around the sauce pan, as he added the chopped onions and tomatoes into the pan for the sauce. It was- He couldn't even describe that desire he could hear in the boy's heart. That begging question. The plea that it wasn't a lie. And even worse, the disbelief that someone could actually like him. That his hero would like him. God, he_ hated_ Rudolph in that moment.

"Yeah, I think so. You're a good kid," said Barry, and hesitantly, he placed his hand on Wally's shoulder.

The boy tensed at the touch, so Barry withdrew his hand. Wally was quiet, staring at Barry with unsure eyes. He pretended nothing had occurred, before asking, "So, what do you like to do for fun Wally?"

"I- I like reading," said Wally uncertainly, "Especially the newspapers. Auntie Iris writes lots about Flash. And I like reading the Big Book of Why at my school library. It's a really big book, all about why things happen. I like playing with my legos."

"Sounds like a lot of fun," said Barry, amused at the boy's quite intelligence. He could see a little budding Ira West in this boy. No wonder Iris was so fond of him.

"Do- Do you know more about the Flash?" asked Wally curiously, as he glanced up at Barry hopefully, "Could- Could I_ please_ have another story?"

Barry grinned, once again amused and sad at the polite fear the boy had, as he said, "Let me tell you about the time the Flash took down Abra Kadabra. It wasn't all about speed either, he had to run on his hands for this one!"

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By the end of the evening, Barry had managed to solidify a bond with the shy little boy. He'd convinced Wally that he wasn't the bad guy, and they'd bonded over Flash stories. Wally was soon shyly interrupting the stories with questions, and surprisingly smart questions too. When Barry had accidentally described speeds at Mach levels as he explained how fast the Flash-well, himself- had been going, the boy had asked what that meant. Which diverted into a lesson about air pressure and temperature in relation to the speed of air planes. And by gods, the boy was picking it up.

Even when Barry had to grab a piece of paper and slowly explain the basic physics behind it so that Wally could fully understand what a Mach level was, Wally was enthusiastic and understanding. He didn't get bored, he didn't back off. Instead, he asked questions. Barry had never met a kid like this before. Barry was amazed as he went through a simple calculation with the kid, using really basic, non-realistic numbers such as ones and twos to explain sample scenarios. Wally's eyes lit up as he calculated the answers.

And then Barry had broken out a calculator, and used some realistic scenarios. And the six-year old had solved the math easily. Barry had almost started to tremble in sheer delight. This was a little Ira West. When he'd gone further, and described the scenarios involving the Flash, Wally had actually began typing out on the calculator the numbers, while using the pencil to write in untidy scrawl the math involved with being the Flash.

Barry had just watched the kid, who was soon asking Barry for scenarios where the Flash had to run fast. Eventually they made it a game. Barry would give Wally stories about his adventures and the speeds he'd run, and Wally would calculate Mach levels. Soon Wally got bored of just the Mach levels, and they moved on to calculating acceleration and speed. Barry had explained the differences between scalars and vectors. And Wally just ate the physics up, absorbing it like a sponge. By the end of the night, Barry had gone and dug out an old high-school text book of his (feeling very glad he was a sentimental kind of guy who stored these things) and given it to Wally to take home and practice with.

Barry had spent the rest of the night retelling his evening to Iris. He'd been so excited that Iris had actually laughed at and there, was the spark of the relationship that Barry would have with Wally, and that Wally had with Barry. But for now, Barry delighted in just regaling Iris with the genius that was her nephew.

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**Review Replies: **

RJG Lover: Rudy's a total ass, but he's so fun to write! And thank you for reviewing! I'm glad you're enjoying the story.

Yuu101cutie: Thank you for your lovely review! I love Wally too! He's such an interesting character. I love his comics and adore him to the point where I'm pretty sure my new 'type' in guys is red-headed motor-mouths... :P On the whole though, Wally's that character, the one you can't help feel good after reading his stories. And the updates are every other day, mostly because while this section of the story is mostly written out, the second part to this series isn't even started and with school in the mix, I don't want to post everything and then make you wait a while for the rest.

On the topic of the abuse, as far as Earth-16 goes, he's not. Even in the comics Rudy's not physically abusive, but he berated Wally a lot, and kept trying to discourage Wally's dreams to be a hero. He had issues with Iris and his father too, especially because Ira was a genius where as Rudy was a blue-collar man, and Ira favored Iris. Then later on he turned out to be part of a villainous cult of Man-hunters (the robot things from Green Lantern comics that the Guardians created and- just google it in the DC wiki), and a bit of a conman. For this story, I'm neglecting the last bit and trying to stick to the parts of Rudy's character such as his jealousy with his sister, his daddy issues, and the continuous verbal taunts at Wally. It's also why Rudy's not going to be physically abusive in this story, just a jerk to his son and with some neglect and a lot of beratement.

On the contrary, Mary's character is pretty deviated from who she is in the comics. Her Rudy-worship is my own doing. Later on, in the sequel to this story probably, I'm going to bring more canonical aspects of Mary's character out, but for the most part, she's the one who deviates from canon.

Mythology Girl: Things get better... but this story's so Wally!Whump that it's not for a while at the least... Oh well, Barry's there for him!

AMMO121: The next chapter after this is a bit of a time-skip, but for the most part, this story covers the pre-Kid-Flash era of Wally, and details how he developed into the Kid Flash he is 'today'.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: You know.**

**I didn't realize how long this chapter was until I posted it! Almost a thousand words longer then the last two.. but well, it's Hal Jordan. I doubt anyone's complaining regardless. **

**Tomorrow's Friday, and honestly I cannot wait. School isn't as bad as I thought, considering the majority of my classes are opinion work and discussions. But eight AM is to early for existential philosophy debates. **

* * *

Over the years, Barry found himself delighting in the company of his nephew. They're relationship was closer than ever. When Barry told Iris, after two and a half-years of dating, that he was indeed, the Flash, she'd been understandably shocked. Nevertheless, she'd taken it in stride, and firmly told him this didn't change their relationship. It just meant she forgave him for being late to all their dates, not that she didn't otherwise. Gods he loved that woman.

And then he'd proposed. It had been the happiest day of his life when Iris had walked down the aisle, an aging Ira West handing her to Barry. A ten-year old Wally had been the ring-bearer for the wedding, and he'd been happier then ever to know his aunt was marrying his second favorite hero. Though Barry suspected he was higher than the Flash on the list, Barry didn't want to be presumptuous, even if Iris insisted that it was true.

Hal had been Barry's best man, which was how he met Wally. Apparently Hal's plans to get completely smashed and leave with a bridesmaid or two had been derailed by the red-headed bur that had found Hal using his familiar rhetoric of how he knew the Green Lantern with Iris's friends. Cat Grant, one of Iris's coworkers, had been particularly responsive to Hal's tales. Unfortunately, Wally's superhero obsession was strong, and despite his reluctance to approach a strange man, Iris lead him over, most likely out of a vicious plot to keep Hal away from her friends. Within minutes, Cat was gone and Hal found himself unable to play his I-helped-a-hero card without Wally asking questions, particularly about the science of his ring. Hal went home drunk and alone. Barry came back from his honeymoon to receive a punch from Hal to the jaw, before handing Barry a Green Lantern poster and a lecture about Flash indoctrination. After that, Barry had to monitor Hal to ensure he didn't turn Wally into a Corps fan. The man was a hypocrite.

Not to mention once Hal discovered 'the brainwashing' Barry had done to the boy to make him the Flash's biggest fan, he'd turned it into a competition. Every time Hal came over, he'd regale Wally with stories about the Green Lantern Corps. He'd tell all sorts of exciting stories about the Green Lantern, even off-planet tales that Barry was pretty sure weren't stories found on the internet, as Hal liked to claim. It was with a heavy heart that Wally's Flash scrapbook began to accumulate Green Lantern stories. Iris said he was being a baby when he pouted about the fact. But it was worrying. Barry had slid to a third place in Wally's eyes of adoration, because really, he couldn't compete with a Green Lantern. Iris just threw her hands into the air and dropped the conversation after he said that.

Now, on Wally's twelfth birthday, Barry had decided to take his nephew to Coast City since Iris was out of town. Hal liked the kid, and Wally was determined to figure out how the Green Lantern ring worked. Apparently the mystery behind it was frustrating him, especially since he knew the science to Barry's powers. It was actually quite frightening how much the kid knew about the Flash, but Barry found it hard not to tell more incriminating stories when Wally sleepily said 'nother one Uncle Barry, m'not tired'. Hal, on the other hand, barely understood his ring himself, and Wally refused to accept 'magic' as an answer.

That's how the two had ended up being roped into spending a weekend together with Uncle Hal. Hal had offered to take Wally on a plane the last time he'd seen the boy- mostly to stop the tirade of Green Lantern ring questions- and Wally had talked of nothing else since. It had both been aggravating for Barry who had suddenly found himself fourth on Wally's list of heroes, Hal being propelled upwards. Barry was only secure in the fact that Flash was on the top of Wally's list. Likewise, it was amusing to see Wally so animated about something other than science and the Flash or superheroes. It was hard to draw the boy out of his shell in other topics.

Unfortunately, ever since Barry had picked Wally up today (only ten minutes late!) he'd been silent. And a silent Wally was a troubled Wally. And that was never a good thing.

"How come you're so quiet kiddo?" asked Barry, as they got closer to Hal's apartment. Barry couldn't wait to be out of his car. The box of creaky bolts and oil was a death-trap that moved so slowly.

"S'nothing," said Wally quietly, glancing at the ground. And the death trap was now filled with an air of awkward tension.

Wally looked so much like the little boy who trailed behind his mother's skirts and clutched a Flash figurine that Barry's heart broke. He was inwardly panicking, trying to think of the possible causes to depress Wally this much. He'd only been ten minutes late, surely that wasn't the matter. Barry raced through potential causes in his head.

Rudy had been perfectly normal when he'd seen the man, if not a little sarcastic that Wally was going camping in the wild instead of 'playing superhero in his room'. He was still disappointed in Wally, and continued his tirade that Wally wasn't manly enough. The verbal tirades against his son had gotten harsher over the years, especially since his son was the freaky science kid. 'He's too smart!' was a common complain, along with 'he's clumsy' and 'he's skinny' and 'he has his head in the clouds, wanting to be a hero'. Barry seethed and packed Rudy back into the drawer of his mind where all problems Rudy lay and were avoided because aspirin didn't work on his metabolism.

Wally hadn't mentioned anything about Billy Johnson, his school bully. Billy had been picking on Wally for a while now, pushing him around and generally making fun of Wally. Barry knew Wally didn't have any friends at school, mostly because he was much smarter then them when it came to science and math. Wally had skipped two grades just to be in a class that was somewhat challenging. Unfortunately, that only worsened the bullying situation. But Wally was never upset about it. At least, not like this. And not when he was spending the weekend with his two favorite uncles. Barry often marveled at how Wally could just be so happy with the small things when by all rights the boy should be a mess. It made him that much more special.

"Did something happen at school?" asked Barry carefully.

Immediately, Wally's hand jerked inwards to his chest. It was a tell from when the boy was younger and had the Flash figure. He'd pull it closer to his chest when it was bothering him. Ever since, Wally's hands would move just slightly closer to his chest when he was upset, like a protective manoeuvre, even if he didn't carry the figurine around anymore.

"C'mon, you can tell me about it," coaxed Barry kindly, "I won't laugh. Did Billy say something again? I could always talk to his parents for you."

"N- no," said Wally quietly, "He's not bothered me since the Flash saw him picking on me at the park, and told him off."

Barry smirked inwardly at the memory. Despite Wally's insistence that he could handle the bully, he couldn't. Wally had grown quieter during those weeks, and eventually Barry had had enough. He'd seen the boy's confidence diminishing, and how much he craved Barry's praises, like he didn't quite believe he was worthy of it. So the older speedster had tried convincing Wally that he should talk to Billy's parents. Unfortunately, both Rudy and Mary refused to accept that Wally was being bullied in any way or form. They couldn't handle another 'flaw' in their son. And Wally refused to let Barry or Iris handle the situation. Thus, Barry had taken matters in his own hands.

He'd donned the scarlet cowl and pretended he was chasing a lead in Keystone City. He'd come across Billy and his punk-friends as they teased Wally about his longer-than-normal red hair, and his skinny frame. Wally had been trying to walk home through a park, and they'd come after him. Barry had immediately intervened as the Flash, and told the bullies off. Wally had been so thrilled, that he'd not stopped talking about the story for days. Even now he still brought it up.

"So what happened?" asked Barry, glancing at Wally from the corner of his eye.

For a now twelve-year old boy, Wally was still one of the shorter kids in the class. He had a lean, runner's build from running around and pretending to be the Flash. His face was smeared in freckles, and his green eyes were still wide and innocent. The mop of red hair on his head had grown out again, and was covering his ears and brushing the ends of his neck. His shirts were too big (Mary insisted he'd grow into them) and his pants hung off him. His shoes were worn from exploring the yards when Rudy kicked him out of the house to be a normal boy. Barry loathed his brother and sister-in-law. But there wasn't much Iris or he could do to change them.

"Um- I- There was this girl," began Wally, caving into Barry's kind questions. "Her name's Tina, and she's really pretty. A lot of boys like her. She asked me to go on a date with her."

Barry blinked in surprise. Wally had gone on a date? He felt an uneasy panic in his stomach, but swallowed it back and forced himself to listen.

"Anyways, it didn't turn out like I wanted," said Wally quickly, "And yeah."

There was far more to the story, thought Barry with another wave of panic. This Tina kid was in his class. She was probably thirteen. Possibly fourteen. Oh god. Wally had gone on a date with an older girl. Maybe she'd tried to _kiss_ his poor little nephew. Oh _god._ This was _not_ happening.

When they got to Hal's apartment, Barry must have looked like shit. His face was pale and all he could think about was various scenarios where his nephew had been taken advantage of by an older girl. Hal took one look at Barry's face, and Wally's dejected one, and bluntly asked, "Who died?"

"Nobody died," said Barry, a little more forcefully than intended, "You ready to go camping?"

"I'm driving. You're a shit driver," said Hal, as he grabbed his stuff, and ruffled Wally's hair, "You taking shot-gun, kid?"

"Yeah!" said Wally with a quick smile, that faded just as it appeared.

Once they were in the car, Hal began glancing between the two of them. Finally, he demanded to know what happened. Barry had thrown Wally under the bus, and Wally had regaled Hal with the same tale that he'd given Barry earlier. Hal had glanced back at Barry, before slowly asking, "Was she older then you?"

"She's thirteen, like all the other kids in eighth grade," said Wally with a shrug, "Why?"

"Well," said Hal with a sigh, "Did she try to do something that made you uncomfortable?"

Wally frowned, and glanced at Hal, before asking, "How'd you know?"

Barry couldn't breathe. His nephew had almost been _defiled_. His precious little Wally had been _attacked_ by a woman. Iris was going to kill her after Barry had secured Wally in a safe-house away from the female populace. This was _not_ happening! Couldn't the kid catch a break?

"What did she do?" asked Hal easily, "I'm the reigning expert on women, I know them inside out."

A lecherous wink was tossed back at Barry, who quickly gave a warning glare at his friend, accented by an angry, "Hal!"

"How come?" asked Wally to his Uncle Hal, and Barry wanted to smack Hal. The last thing Wally needed was Hal teaching Wally how to be a playboy. Especially not if Wally was never going to see another woman again.

"Well, Barry has his experiments with the lab, and I have mine with the ladies," said Hal with a grin that was so dirty it should have been illegal, especially around a _child._

"Hal- that's enough!" said Barry tightly, already envisioning the punch he'd give the Lantern once they were in their uniforms and not in front of an impressionable eleven-year old kid. Twelve.

"Well, Tina asked me on Monday if I wanted to grab some sodas with her," began Wally casually, and Barry's tight anger at Hal bundled itself up in favor of listening to the story. "She said she thought I was cute, and that we should hang out, like on a date. So I said yes. When we went to get the sodas, she said I had to pay, cause that's what boys do on dates. So I paid, and we bought two cokes from the convenience store."

"Kids," said Hal fondly, "Then what happened?"

"Then we were walking, and Tina kept talking. She told me about her dog Miffy, and her friends Stacy and Cherry and how Stacy liked Brandon but Billy liked Stacy and Brandon's Billy's cousin so they can't be together because that's against the girls law or something," continued Wally, and then a troubled look appeared on his face. "Then she asked if I wanted to come over. So I said sure."

"You went to her house? Were her parents there?" asked Barry sharply, that feeling of dread churning in his stomach. He should have called his nephew up and asked him if he was doing okay during the week. If only he hadn't been trying to wrap up that cold case he'd finally managed to get a lead on and if Boomerang hadn't come up with some insane plot to kill the Flash on Wednesday, leaving him with a bruised rib.

"We never made it to her house," said Wally, looking at his feet, and the fact that Wally had reverted to staring at the ground when he was with his Uncle Hal and Barry was setting both of them on edge. This had to be really_ bad_, "We were walking and then she asked me if I was really good at science and if I could help her out with her project. So I said sure, and then she kissed me-

Barry sucked in a gasp of horror, as Hal's eyes narrowed, "-on my cheek."

He released his breath, but Hal's eyes remained narrowed. Wally didn't even notice as he continued reciting his story, "Then when we were walking we ran into her friend Stacy, and Stacy asked her what she was doing with me. So she told Stacy that she had agreed to go on a date with me in exchange for me doing her project. But that's not what happened! I didn't ask her to go on a date! I didn't even offer to do her project! But she told Stacy that's what happened."

"Did you tell Stacy that's not what happened?" asked Hal quietly, as Barry's eyes narrowed, his mind processing that information and an ugly feeling roaring in his stomach.

"No! Stacy's scary! She wears lots of make-up and she's really tall and she's_ mean. _I don't like her at all," said Wally immediately, "And she's Tina's friend. After Tina told her that, Stacy gave me this really mean look, and I just froze. She said really mean things to me."

"What did she say?" asked Barry, gritting his teeth as he wondered if the Flash could pop a visit to these two baby brats.

"She said I was stupid and pathetic for tricking Tina into a date," said Wally, looking on the verge of tears, "And then she said I was a- a- pros- prostitute because I was selling myself for dates."

Hal nearly crashed the car as he suddenly jerked to a stop. The red-light on the sign, just before they reached the airport grounds had most likely saved Barry's car. Not that Barry could blame him. His own jaw was dropped at what that- that- he didn't even know what to call this chick. Maybe he'd skip telling Iris and go after the girl herself. Then he remembered that he had the no-killing rule. Iris would have to know then.

"She called you a _what_?" asked Hal, looking as shocked as Barry felt.

"A -stitute," muttered Wally, rubbing his eyes and screwing his face up to look brave as he pandered on with the disastrous first date story, "So I told her it wasn't like that! But Tina and her started to laugh, and then Stacy pulled out her brand new cellphone and said she was going to text Cherry and tell her. And then they both said they'd let all the girls know so I- I could offer my services, but I told them it wasn't like that and I begged them not to tell anyone. So they agreed on the condition that I did both their science projects for the rest of the year."

"Did you do their projects?" asked Hal, once again driving. They'd reached the Ferris air grounds, and were parking in the employee parking lot, courtesy of Hal's permit. However, no one moved to get out of the car, too engrossed in Wally's story.

"Yeah," said Wally, looking miserable, "I did one of theirs, and handed it on for them on Friday."

Hal sighed, before glancing back at Barry and exchanging a look of commiseration and anger. Then he turned to Wally and said, "First of all, they were wrong, don't ever think what happened was your fault kiddo. Second of all, those girls are dumb because that's not what prostitution is. Third, that was not your first date. Not by a long-shot. First dates are special and meaningful and that was- a stupid girl being stupid. They had no right to do that to you at all."

Wally was listening, clinging to every word Hal spoke for reassurance. All Barry could think as he saw the scene was how those girls had crushed Wally's fragile confidence in a matter of probably an hour. He wanted to run. He needed to take a run around the world to blow some steam off.

"And you don't owe those girls anything," said Hal sternly.

"But- But what if they tell people-

"We'll figure that out," said Hal, ruffling Wally's hair, "But for now, let's get ourselves on a plane and fly out to the campgrounds. You ready kiddo?"

"Yeah," said Wally, looking at Hal with the adoration he normally reserved solely for the Flash and Barry. It was only more upsetting for Barry, and gave Hal a heady rush. Kids didn't give Hal Jordan that look. Maybe this was why Barry liked having Wally around.

"I- I'll meet you guys at the campsite," said Barry weakly, "I'm not a fan of heights."

"How are you going to get there Uncle B?" asked Wally, turning in his seat to face his uncle with those impossibly green eyes.

"I'll catch a ride with a bus," said Barry with a modest shrug, as he exchanged a look with Hal.

"It's okay kiddo, let him go," said Hal with a grin, "He won't let me go half as fast as I'd want to anyways. The slowpoke that he is. Barry, it's four hours by bus, but Wally and I should touch down within a half-hour, so we'll set up camp for when you arrive, that okay?"

"Perfect, thanks Hal," said Barry weakly.

The group got out of the car, and Barry began walking away, his head pounding with anger and frustration. He could idly make out Wally laughing softly as Hal and he unloaded the supplies to take to the plane. But Barry was merely walking. Once he was out of sight, he pulled out his ring and changed into his uniform. The Flash was ready to run.

* * *

By the time Barry got back to the campsite, it was almost four and a half hours later. He'd run all the way to the North Pole to cool his temper. How could people be so mean to a kid? He just didn't get why it had to be Wally of all the kids that kept meeting all the shitty people in life. It was like the kid had a large sign on his head claiming 'come hither' to the nearest aggressive, manipulative or ignorant fool. Why couldn't the kid just meet like-minded people his age? Rumor had it Batman had a genius for a son. Robin. Maybe he should consider introducing Wally to Robin discreetly. The next time someone knocked the kid down, Barry wasn't sure if Hal, Iris and himself would be enough to pick him back up.

Finally, Barry had raced back to Central. He couldn't keep running aimlessly and wondering about things he had no control over. But he could do something about it. He told Iris the entire story when he got home. She'd been devastated when she'd heard, and furious as well. When she'd told Barry to leave the situation to her, Barry had almost wanted to cackle like a mad man. Nobody got away with messing with Iris's nephew on her watch. Barry had offered to talk to the girl's parents, but he'd handled the bullying, so Iris insisted to take this one on.

Hal had spent enough time corrupting his nephew, so finally, Barry headed to the campsite. It was ten minutes away for the Flash, who raced at a light jog. He'd refueled back at home after telling Iris the story, but didn't push himself. Hal had his JLA comm if anything went wrong anyways.

"In Blackest day, in brightest night, no evil shall escape my sight," he heard Wally reciting as he began his trek to the campsite as Barry Allen, and inwardly he groaned, "Let those who worship evil's might, beware my power Green Lantern's light!"

"Teaching him the Oath already?" asked Barry as he came into view.

"Uncle Barry!" said Wally, his face alight with joy. It was amazing how _quickly_ Wally managed to cheer up. Barry doubted if he'd been in Wally's shoes he'd have been able to hold such a brilliant smile, one so heart-warming and all-encompassing as the boy's current smile. It only made Barry's thoughts go back to his afternoon races, and his wonder if Wally would always be able to smile like that.

"Hey you two," said Barry, waving.

"Enjoyed the run up here?" asked Hal, grinning at his friend.

The campgrounds were high in a mountain, only accessible by the small jet Hal had taken out for the weekend. Said jet was parked towards the valley of the mountain, where a specific landing strip was made for airplanes that dropped campers off regularly.. Hal and Wally had trekked up about fifty feet and erected one large tent for the three of them. A campfire was built between them. The other three groups of campers were closer to the landing strip, which was perfectly fine for Barry. He preferred the privacy they had up here together.

"Uncle Hal says that he could get me a Lantern ring because he knows Green Lantern!" said Wally, beaming as he rushed over to Barry, and extended his hand to display the garish plastic Lantern ring on his hand, "This one's a toy ring, but he says I should practice with it until I'm ready for a real one."

"I thought you wanted to be the Flash," said Barry, narrowing his eyes at Hal. Four hours unattended with the boy and he was inducting him into the Corps?

"It's his back-up plan," said Hal sheepishly, "In case he fails to develop the super-speed to be the Flash."

"Well, I suppose it's alright for now," said Barry with a sigh, before sternly looking at Wally and saying, "But don't listen to Hal, space exploration isn't all that it's made out to be."

* * *

The camping trip was a success. Barry has succeeded in keeping Wally from becoming a Green Lantern groupie. Hal was pouting as they flew in the plane. Except, to Barry's horror, Hal had never learnt the meaning of safe flying. They'd flipped over twice, and Hal let Wally take control of the plane. Scariest five minutes of Barry's life. But he couldn't deny the kid when he started to laugh, that high-pitched, little laugh of sheer delight that both men had struggled to coax out of the boy all weekend.

"You're never allowed to take him in a plane ever again," said Barry firmly, as they drove back to Hal's apartment. From there, Barry would drive Wally home to Central.

"Relax, let the kid live a little Barry," said Hal with a grin, as he glanced back at Wally's sleeping form, being carried by Barry, even if he was getting too big, "So, what are you going to do about Wally's- _situation_?"

"Iris said she'd handle it," replied Barry, feeling older then he had in years, "But- If this is how he's being treated in elementary, I don't think he should go to high school next year. I thought- when he was given the chance to skip some grades, he'd fit in better with older, intelligent kids, but now..."

"It's not your fault Barry," said Hal, squeezing his best friend's shoulder, "He's just a kid with a quick mind. He'll grow up and find people who love him."

"What did you tell him, after I left to clear my head?" asked Barry, uncertain if he really wanted an answer.

"I told him that one day he'd meet someone worth waiting for," said Hal with a smug smirk, as Barry raised an eyebrow. Sheepishly, Hal tacked on, "And I may have gone through a crash course on picking up women, Hal-style."

Barry groaned, "You didn't."

"Relax," said Hal easily, "He's never going to imitate me, he doesn't have the confidence to try it. And anyways, he adores you too much to pretend to be like me. He'll probably be a mini-Barry once he gets a girlfriend, chasing after his Iris like a puppy."

"Whoever she is," said Barry darkly, "She'd better be worth him."

"We'll make sure of it," assured Hal, still smirking smugly.

* * *

Iris was true to her words. She'd spoken with the mothers of the two girls about what had occurred, before requesting that she deal with the girls herself. Barry later learned that his wife had taken the two aside and asked for an interview, being a reporter. Unknowingly, the two hadn't realized Iris Allen was Wally's aunt. During the interview, Iris had carefully asked questions pertaining to the situation and referenced several criminals, including Poison Ivy, who manipulated men to get their ends. Finally Tina broke down and took Stacy with her. Both girls suddenly maintained a no-talking-to-Wally policy, and left him alone in fear of turning into super-criminals rather then potential Wonder Women. Barry had never been prouder of his wife after learning the fact. And Wally's shaky little smiles became stable once again. Until they disappeared altogether.

* * *

Review Replies:

runwithanime: Thank you! I love adorable Wally chappies, even if this chapter was meant to crush him...

randomkitty101: I love Wally/Barry father/son stuff, and I wish I could do more with their relationship and show Wally developing, but well, the plot must continue.

. : Haha, yeah. My school does kind of suck :/ Not much you can do about it now though. And thank you for the review!

RJG Lover: I know! But bullies always pick on the cute kids... or maybe that's just me... And I was geeking out while writing that. Glad you're liking the story though!

Mark in Orlando: I hate the DCnU. Well, not all of it. But I mean, I loved the Batgirl series with Stephanie Brown, we had Cassandra Cain being bad-ass, we had Wally being the Flash and creating a legacy, though the last ten years his role in the comic series has been getting less and less... important? He's been slowly getting less attention with the return of Barry, which I understand, but I mean, comparatively speaking, Wally's the more fun Flash. He's always been more engaging when reading about. I had a dream last night actually where my nerd friend told me the DC reboot had ended and that Wally was back as the Flash and the comics had reverted to being amazing. I was so disappointed when I woke up...

I've heard rumors on the internet that there is potential that Wally's the new zoom? But I mean, that's not likely considering Iris's family has changed entirely. Her brother is now Daniel (Why couldn't they stick with Rudy?) and he was in jail... I also read somewhere that Wally had been murdered and had been Piper's friend (I think that was on the DC wiki) which makes more sense but is horribly depressing that of all the characters they rebooted, and I mean, seriously, they rebooted EVERYONE, and Wally's reboot is either a villain or a dead body.

I haven't read many of the older Flash comics, most of my exposure to Wally's been through the JLU t.v show, Young Justice, and a few Justice League comics here and there, and a couple Teen Titan comics and the show itself. Most of my understanding of the family dynamics is from my extensive Wally-research and slight compulsion to obsess. So I'm really glad I got it right (even if I skewered it for this chapter) even if I did go a little over the top. But I mean, how can you not love him? Wally's just, he's _Wally._ Didio. I ugh- I can't stand the man. At all. He and Grant Morrison have a special place in my head.

Yuu101cutie: Yep, I know the feel. If you're into Batman and want to expand in the DCU, pick up the Batgirl comics with Stephanie Brown. She has that same feeling that Wally has, but with a less dry humor and a more cheerful girly personality. But still kick ass. Or watch the old Justice League Cartoon, in that Wally's the Flash and well, it's love from the get go. It sucks that you didn't get a response from the other writers, I know how aggravating that can be. And I love Wally being nerdy, it's the right kind of awesome :D

irenerb: Thank you! Updates are every other day :D


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: You know.**

**I didn't realize how long this chapter was until I posted it! Almost a thousand words longer then the last two.. but well, it's Hal Jordan. I doubt anyone's complaining regardless. **

**Tomorrow's Friday, and honestly I cannot wait. School isn't as bad as I thought, considering the majority of my classes are opinion work and discussions. But eight AM is to early for existential philosophy debates. **

* * *

"Wally? Sweetie?" asked Iris, as she glanced over at her nephew in the seat beside her. He'd gone silent ever since they'd gotten into the car to drive back to Keystone.

He barely heard her. Iris instantly began to panic. Over the years, silences like these lead to organized panics. Organized panics. The dark humor of the situation was not lost on her. Years ago, Iris wouldn't have been able to understand why she put up with it. But marriage, her job, and age had softened her temper, and sharpened her personality. No longer did Iris pick fights that she couldn't win. No longer did she go head first into an argument with her brother. Wally needed her and Barry by his side, and angering Rudy lead to the two being cut off. The strangeness that came with the maternal feelings which lead to the growth of her person was never lost on Iris. Sometimes she wished she was Wally's mother, if only to protect him from the people battering him.

The first people to blame for hurting the boy started with his biological parents. Rudy and Mary had not changed over the years. They continuously belittled and demeaned their son, if only to get meaner with their taunts. Iris had nightmares she'd wake up one morning and Wally would have a bruise that should have been prevented. She had nightmares Wally would blame her for not saving him, blame him like she blamed herself. His real mother, Mary, had become frustrated with Wally, and Rudy's unhappiness lead her to blame her son, instead of her husband for the lack of familial affection. Rudy was the center of Mary's world, and it was getting harder and harder for Mary to cling to that. Iris had noted that Mary's tolerance for wine increased drastically over the years. She never went to bed without a glass or two.

It was something Iris could not change, and neither could Barry.

Then Wally was smart, much smarter then his classmates, which lead to Wally being teased and bullied. He had trouble reaching out to people, trying to make new friends. And just a few months back, at the start of the school year, Wally had trouble with girls. Now the summer vacation was nearing, and he'd be free of one prison. Only to be tossed into high school at a tender young age. Iris doubted the bullying would end at elementary school. It was a wonder this kid hadn't crumbled into a shell of a person because of it.

Sometimes, Iris would think about Barry, and how much he healed Wally, how much he kept her sane, and how together, they'd managed to salvage something inside of Wally. Years of spending weekends with Iris and Barry had brightened the boy. Lit a flame in his heart. He was_ happy_. Somehow, just because of two kind hands, Wally was happy. And that happiness made the boy inquisitive, smart. It opened up a whole new side of Wally that Iris was certain nobody else could bring out quite like she and Barry had over the years.

He was smart and talkative, he had a bright personality. He made jokes. He _laughed._ A boy who had beaten by the world laughed so infectiously that it filled her body with a giddy sort of warmth. Of course, when he went back to his parents, or his school, or went out in public, that boy went into a shell, scared of the world and it's ruthlessness. No- not scared. Wary. Like he was afraid that they'd just beat him down again. Like he had nothing to offer if they asked. He distanced himself, and went quiet. Until he came back to her arms, and Iris wished she could hold him forever, to see his smile never have to fade.

So for Wally to go all silent on her in the car, that was _terrifying_. Iris was sure her nephew was apprehensive about something. For the life of her, she couldn't figure it out. He was wary around his parents, she knew that. He felt like he disappointed them. But- he was never quiet until he reached his house. He was their _Kid_ until he was gone.

Iris had a bad feeling about this.

* * *

"And he was quiet the entire ride home," said Iris to Barry, her frustration and hurt evident in her eyes as she told her husband the story, as the rain pattered on outside. A faint roar of thunder accentuated her statement.

Barry had been gone on a League mission for the last week. He'd come home to a half-crazed Iris saying they needed to go to Keystone immediately because she was certain Rudy had finally snapped and escalated into the dreaded physical abuse she and Barry had predicted could occur. Barry, being oddly rational in that moment, had asked her for the facts. Mostly because she looked so manic that he wasn't sure if she was in her right senses at all.

"And then, I called him, Skyped him twice," said Iris, near hysterical, "And he blew me off Barry! He just shut down and stopped talking after ten minutes! Like- Like he couldn't speak to me! Barry he's in trouble! Oh god Barry, we need to get to Keystone. I just know he's in danger!"

"Did you talk to Mary?" asked Barry, his mind already plotting the fastest routes to Keystone via car, or maybe he should just run there, if time was of the essence.

"She never speaks to me," said Iris bitterly, "She hates me Barry, you know that. If anything, it sounds like she's been having her glasses earlier in the day. I almost called _Hal_, Barry. I had the phone in my hand and I dialed him, only to remember he was with _you._ Barry we need to go to Wally right now!"

Well. That seemed rational enough to Barry. He was showered and dressed within three minutes. It was a testament to how well Iris knew him that she was already at the door, her shoes on, and the car keys in hand. A grim look was exchanged between the two, and they said nothing as Iris opened the door. Just as the two were about to leave, Iris's phone rang. Annoyed, Iris picked it up. Her phone would only ring at nine in the night if it was work related, which almost always lead to the Flash being involved. Barry did the only thing he could while she spoke, he paced.

Her hands shook as she hung up, and turned to Barry. It was enough to snap Barry out of the subjective thought nightmares he'd been having. His heart sank to his shoes from the look she gave him.

"He's in Keystone General," said Iris, "He- Chemistry accident- They don't know if he'll make it through the night Barry."

With that, the speedster grabbed his wife, and ran to Keystone City as his world crashed around him.

* * *

Barry was sitting across from Rudy and Mary West, around the limp little body of Wallace West. He looked so tiny and broken in this form, tubes hooked to his arms, in his mouth, and bandages strapped around him. Every inch of Wally's skin was burnt. Whatever the kid had been doing to end up in such a state, Barry didn't know. Wally had spent all week preparing for this experiment, according to Mary, before she'd dissolved into sobs.

Apparently Wally had waited until it was raining, almost thundering, to do this experiment. Every day he'd check the weather reports, and then tonight when Keystone expected a storm, he'd been ecstatic. Barry could even picture the large smile that would grace the twelve year old boy at the thought of a new discovery. His eyes had probably lit up, the corners of his mouth curving wide and a dangerously determined gleam in his eyes. Wally had set it up two days ago, and then, today, he'd gone up to the roof with a metal rod, where the rest of the chemicals were.

Mary and Rudy had no idea. The neighbors had called and told them Wally was on the roof with a bunch of glass bottles in the rain, out of concern. Rudy had been going up in an angry rage to tell Wally to come off the roof, when the lightning struck. It was absorbed by Wally, barely scorching the house, but the boy and his chemicals had lit up like fireworks. Rudy had barely gotten the body off the roof, by the time the paramedics arrived, again courtesy of the neighbors.

From there, it had been a long, long night. Mary hadn't called Iris, an acquaintance of the Keystone papers had. They'd heard the story, again courtesy of the nosy neighbors, and had thought to call Iris. By the time Barry arrived, they'd been ushered into the intensive care unit. The doctors had informed them that Wally had been through surgery to heal internal wounds, and his body was ninety-five percent burnt. They told Barry that the probability Wally would make it through the night was a million to one.

"I knew his day dreams would kill the boy eventually," said Rudolph gruffly, snapping Barry from the horrors of Wally's body in a little coffin, "Knew it would!"

The lack of- of compassion in Rudolph West's voice was disconcerting. His son nearly died, and Rudolph was more adamant about complaining over the fact that his son- his _only_ son- was a genius. While right now, Barry was inclined to agree wholeheartedly with the sentiments- Obviously Wally knew this experiment was dangerous, if the lightning rod was a part of it- but the fact that Rudy just brushed his son aside like this, it made Barry want to punch the man. Wally was_ dying_, and he was just callous.

"Don't Rudy," said Iris, a sob stuck in her throat as she reached out and took Wally's small hand between hers, "Just- don't."

Rudolph looked ready to say something, but Mary's own sobs took over. Too busy comforting his wife, Rudolph went silent, something Barry was grateful for. The night passed like that, lost in prayers that Wally made it to see tomorrow.

* * *

Okay, so for this chapter I blended comic!canon and cartoon!canon because well, it's important to the later plot.

Review Replies:

randomkitty101: I wish this chapter was longer, but well, it's a teaser to the next chapter, which is full of drama and angst. I always figured Iris would be the more hands on manipulative type, Barry's too patient :P I don't know about the red-head thing, but that sucks for that girl! I find that people always pick on the smarter kids, or the younger kids. And I'm really glad you enjoyed Uncle Hal, because next chapter he gets another appearance!

RJG Lover: Barry knows, since he was an original Leaguer. But Robin doesn't make an appearance :( Not yet at least. And I'm glad you love Wally, I love him too!

Hybrid301: Me too! Barry and Wally were one of the best pairs in the DCU

RollingUpHigh: Thank you! So it is Daniel. Is Wally dead then? I read online he was friends with Piper and dead, but I haven't read the actual comic. I just can't stomach Patty and Barry's relationship because Patty's character is really irritating. Most of what I've read in the DCnU is the Justice League and the Batmans, and a few Teen Titans. I did read the first two Flash comics, but haven't read any others. I do like the Earth 2 comics, Jay is adorable, though the focus on Alan Scott gets a bit boring since he's so serious as a character.

irenerb: Thank you!

Yuu101cutie: Thank you! The girl thing was one of the things I was iffy about writing, but well, it worked so I wrote it, especially for future chapters. And Hal and Wally are so fun to write, especially Hal. I've been reading old GL comics, like Hal's first few comics, so I've been having GL fever. I watched the JLU online, and I loved it! Especially the character interactions. I thought it was perfect, and it really endeared me to John Stewart. And go for it! More Steph fans might get her back someday! And no worries, I love replying.

. : Thank you! and I wish I was homeschooled! Do you do online courses?

Puella Pulchra: Thank you!

MythologyGirl: Heee, well, the reason doesn't make sense in this chapter, but it will, I promise!

lack-4-a-better-name: Ahahaha, that was pretty much how I designed that chapter :D

won't be the victim: Thank you! I love Hal and the Flash family :P

The Professor47: Thank you! And I'm glad you liked the story!

Zewy: Thank you!


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: You know.**

**I didn't plan on this being updated later then scheduled, but school is getting busy. I'm working out a new schedule for posting, but it's possible I'll be slowing down to once or twice a week. **

* * *

**Out of the Fire**

It wasn't until the April of his twelfth year that Wally found Barry's journal. Up until that point in his life, Wally hadn't really anticipated his uncle being the Flash. _Who_ would? Barry was mild-mannered, shy, and tended to stick to the quieter and more peaceful things in life, like reading and visiting his nephew to play with dangerous chemicals. The Flash, he was loud and boisterous, charming and always in the middle of the action, taking down villains while smiling for the camera with lame puns that people smiled at fondly, if not with a touch of exasperation. It took Wally, even with all his supposed genius, by surprise. He'd never admit it to anyone, but he very nearly fainted at the shock of it.

Now, he was an observant child. He'd always known there was _something_ off with Barry, it was kind-of-sort-of obvious, but he hadn't realized how huge it was. He'd just associated his Uncle with his late grandfather Ira West, and assumed that it was the genius in him that made his Uncle twitchy in cars and always late to everything. Even the important stuff, like his wedding.

This however. This was _astounding._

Wally had reverted back to his silent behavior after the discovery. He'd been quiet and reserved, thoughtful even. He considered his options carefully in his head. On the one hand, he should probably tell his Uncle Barry he knew the truth. They'd bond over ice-cream and the Flash would tell him first-hand stories (though in retrospect, most of Uncle Barry's stories were first hand accounts). He'd offer to join Uncle Barry, and the man would say no and they'd live somewhat happily from then on. On the other hand, he currently had the formula to super-speed jammed in his back-pack.

He had the formula to _super-speed_ in his backpack.

Oh he was so not telling anyone about this.

* * *

Wally was in a coma for a week after the experiment. His healing had went tremendously well, some burns fading faster then others, and very few scars survived the incident. The doctors said it was a miracle. He got a front page article in the Keystone news, which Barry had framed in his office, as a reminder to why he kept working these cases and as a reminder to himself on the worst of worst, when everything seemed unfair, that Wally was alive. That miracles happened.

However, while the whole world rejoiced the miracle, Wally had been depressed ever since the accident. Two weeks after coming out of the coma, and he wouldn't tell anyone why he was so upset, or what his experiment had been. Now, he was due to be released from the hospital in three days. Barry and Iris had decided to take the boy home with them to cheer him up, seeing his miserable state.

Mary had been unhappy with the idea. Ever since Wally had turned nine and seemed to prefer Barry and Iris to her and Rudy, Mary had gotten more and more distant. She hardly ever called Iris anymore, and didn't even bother speaking with Barry. When he and Hal went to pick up Wally's things, she'd simply opened the door. Not even a hello. The tension between the Wests and the Allens was stifling, and even Hal was uncomfortable, with his thick-skin.

Hal had come with Barry to Wally's house to help pack the boy's things up. And because he was desperate to see Wally as well. Between covering a good portion of Barry's League duties, he'd hardly had time to go to the hospital to visit the kid. Even John had commented on Hal working harder than normal, but for the sake of Barry's identity, it was a necessary cover. Right now though, the two were currently scavenging his room. Well, Hal was scavenging, Barry was packing Wally's clothes.

"C'mon, he's thirteen, he's got to have one or two lying around," said Hal, as he searched through the room.

"He's not you," retorted Barry, "Besides, he's just a kid!"

"Never too old for a good porn mag," agreed Hal absently, as he sifted through Wally's backpack. He stopped when he saw an old leather-bound journal. It was vaguely familiar. He remembered Barry waving it in his face after they'd shared their secret identities with each other. "Barry- Isn't this yours?"

Barry turned in surprise, and his eyes widened when he saw his old notebook. What was it doing in Wally's room? He gaped, and then took the book from Hal. It had been his old journal where he'd written down experiments and previous cases that he'd done. Absently he began to swiff through the pages, stopping at the last one. There was the page with the ingredients that had given him the Super-speed. He'd rewritten it out, the speed formula.

"Why would Wally have this?" asked Barry in shock, as he read over the chemical list.

It had been so long since he'd looked over it, that even the chemicals had become muddy in his mind. He couldn't remember that all, and it was especially important that he didn't. Not when Grodd or Kadabra could use hypnosis to try and get him to spill the formula. Oddly enough though, most of them, despite not being used together commonly, seemed to stick out in his mind, like he'd recently seen them. He suddenly began to have a _very_ bad feeling.

"Was he trying to replicate an experiment?" offered Hal, looking worried as Barry suddenly stopped in place, his face going pale.

"He- God- Hal- he _knows_," said Barry very quietly.

"Knows what?" asked Hal, confused.

"About- This journal- it made me- and he knew," said Barry, slumping onto the bed the journal slipping from his hands.

Hal caught up a half-second later, and gripped his friend's shoulder immediately, as he said, "It wasn't your fault."

"It was my fault," mourned Barry, "I- I shouldn't-

"He never told you anything," said Hal firmly, "And you didn't know."

The room was silent. Only the sounds of Mary cooking in the kitchen could be heard. The two were silent, processing what to do next.

"When he comes over today," said Hal quietly, "We'll talk to him. Try and figure out what he was thinking. Maybe you're overreact-

"He blew himself up because of me Hal. I think we all know what he was thinking," replied Barry bitterly, "But yeah, we'll talk to him."

* * *

Wally had never been more miserable. Nobody could understand why he was so upset. His father had spent the last month of his recovery berating his son for trying stupid things. When he wasn't berating him for being a stupid genius, he was yelling at his son for being upset that it failed and not valuing his life. In a misplaced way, the fact that his father was upset that Wally was depressed over his own survival was a twisted way of showing he cared. A long time ago, that might have made the thirteen year old happy. It might have been enough.

But for a long time, nothing was enough. For a long time, Wally has known he would never make his parents happy. He knew that they couldn't love him for who he is. His father saw him as a copy of his grandfather. Wally had heard Aunt Iris telling Uncle Barry that story many years back, and it stuck in his mind. And his mother loved his father too much to care that his father's issues with Grandpa Ira were being taken out on his son. Wally knew this. And because of that, their concern for him would never be enough, because he isn't enough for them. He can't make them happy.

The Flash makes people happy. Uncle Barry made _him_ happy. Both his heroes were the same person. Maybe it was warped, but his first reaction to realizing who his Uncle really was had made Wally envious. His Uncle, who was always enough for Wally, who was always enough for Iris, for Hal, and for his job, was the Flash. And the Flash was _enough_ to make the entire world smile.

Is it so bad that Wally had wanted that too? He _wanted_ to be the Flash. He _wanted_ to be enough for people. He_ wanted_ to be something that could really make people happy. He wanted to be more than this twisted, half-shell that he had been for the last thirteen years of his life. This shell that couldn't be enough for people like his parents, like the bullies at school, or the girls who teased him.

Auntie Iris drove him to her home in silence, promising a 'surprise'. He didn't know how to tell her why he couldn't look her in the eye anymore. Why he couldn't talk to Uncle Barry anymore. He was just so ashamed that he'd almost died for a lost cause. If they realized what he had done, that he had messed it all up, they'd hate him for it. Wally still didn't know where he went wrong in the experiment. Each step replayed in his head, but he had messed it up. That was enough for Wally to know that it was never meant to be. That Wally never deserved to be a whole person, who could be enough for the world.

To Wally's growing horror, they were leaving Keystone City. It was at this point that Wally realized that the 'surprise' his Aunt Iris had planned for him was that he got to stay in Central City. The mere idea was horrifying. Wally wanted to cry, but he didn't say anything. Because he couldn't bring himself to speak to them anymore. He just couldn't.

* * *

When Wally entered with Iris, Barry couldn't help but look at his nephew, really taking in a thorough observation of how different the boy was. Wally was a short thirteen year old, with red hair that used to shine. Ever since the accident, it had taken on Wally's mood and just looked dull. The green eyes that were once brilliant and sparkling had lost their luster. Wally's small, thin frame was wrapped in a shirt that once used to fit perfectly, but now hung loosely off of him. His pants were held up by a belt, locked on the fifth latch instead of the second or third. He'd lost so much weight from this accident, partially because of the hospital food, and partially because he refused to eat. He was carrying a crutch because his right leg, which took the brunt of his injuries as he collapsed on the roof, and had still not fully healed. He looked- broken.

And Barry blamed himself for it.

He should have told his nephew earlier. He should have hidden his journal better. He should never have indulged Wally's love for science to the point where he'd be able to understand his notes at the tender age of thirteen. This broken boy was Barry's fault.

"We need to talk," said Hal, looking sternly at Wally, and Iris flashed him her best annoyed look, which usually would have made Hal balk and rephrase his sentence, but today was not an ordinary day.

Wally looked between Hal and Barry, as Iris angrily, but with a tinge of confusion said, "Wally just got out of the hospital, can't this wait until he's rested, Hal?"

"No, it really can't Iris, the kid has a lot to explain," said Hal, folding his arms.

Iris's eyes went wide. Barry knew that she was misinterpreting the situation. She had thought Hal wanted to confront Wally's depression. They were planning to stage an intervention if Wally didn't buck up in the next few days anyways. Her anger grew at the idea, and threateningly she said, "Hal, back off. Wally's been through hell, he needs time."

"He needs to learn the consequences of his actions!" argued Hal, only enraging Iris further. On a normal day, Barry would have chuckled at how the two most important people in his life managed to anger each other so. Right now, all he could do is observe his nephew.

Throughout this entire exchange, Wally's eyes had landed on Barry. He was staring at his uncle, who was sitting on the couch, looking aged and tired. The man's blonde hair was untidy. He was still wearing his work clothes. And his blue eyes just looked so sad as they stared back at his nephew. Wally swallowed as it clicked.

"You know," said Wally, sounding scared and upset as his eyes widened and he paled further, going a ghastly white.

Finally, Iris and Hal tore away from each other, Iris staring at Wally in confusion, and Hal in triumph, which quickly morphed into his concerned-adult-face that didn't suit Hal's flamboyant nature, as he said, "That was a stupid thing you did kid. You almost died!"

"Wally, what's going on?" asked Iris, taking her nephew's hand as she smoothed back his hair.

"You should sit down Iris," suggested Hal, and for once, Iris listened, as Hal lead the two of them over to the couch. Wally found himself sandwiched between Barry and Iris, as Hal sat across from them on a kitchen chair. The chair was turned backwards so Hal can lean across the back, and stare down at the broken little family with sympathy.

"Why don't you tell Iris what happened Wally?" asked Barry, the first words he's spoken today, and he internally lamented that it should be an apology instead of an accusation.

"I- I found out Uncle Barry was the Flash when I found his old journal, a week before the accident. Uncle B was gone, and you were writing an article so I went looking for his old university books. I found his old journal of cases from when he'd started as a forensic scientist. Then I saw the last page. It- He said it was the formula for super-speed. That's when I put it together. I- I looked through Uncle B's closet, and found a torn up Flash-suit. So I stole the journal," said Wally, his voice shaky and uneven as he poured out the story.

Barry closed his eyes, guilt racing through him. He'd totally forgotten about the suit. He inwardly cursed himself for not tossing it out. Now he knew the truth, how it had happened. Wally had confirmed it. He could see Iris had gone rigid from where she sat, her eyes gleaming with the horror that was the truth of Wally's accident.

"Oh- You didn't," she said, crushing Wally's hand with her own, her hand reaching out to brush his hair, as if reassuring herself that he was alive, that he was tangible and in her arms.

"I- _I_ did," said Wally, his voice cracking with the signs of puberty and distress, "I tried- I _wa- wanted_- I-

"He blew himself up in a crazed attempt to become mini-Flash," said Hal, disapproval radiating off of him. It was ironic how Hal, fun-Uncle Hal, had become the purveyor of Justice and Discipline and rational thinking, while Iris and Barry were reduced to broken shells trying desperately to figure out how to fix this broken little boy.

"Why Wally?" asked Barry, cutting Hal off before he could go even more out of character and actually give a lecture on responsibility, "Why did you do it? The risks- You could have died!"

There was no way Barry was ready for the answer.

"I- I just wanted to be_ enough_," came the reply, and finally the thirteen year old succumbed to the tears he'd held back in the hospital, the tears he'd held back since he'd woken up and realized he wasn't the Flash. His mouth was running quickly, as he told them why he wasn't enough, as he told them his fears and worries, and all three adults soaked in how years of neglect and verbal abuse had broken this kid.

Hal's sense of responsibility faded, and turned to horror as he came over and sat on his knees in front of the kid, holding his hand and stroking his arm, trying to soothe the sobbing little boy. Iris was cradling her nephew to her chest, holding him in her arms as she cried, and Barry didn't know what to say. He felt like crap.

"You are always enough Wally, always, to me you're more than enough kiddo," said Barry, swallowing back his own tears as he hugged his family, and vowed then and there he'd find a way to fix this with Wally, one way or another.

* * *

Review Replies:

Zewy: Aha, I'm glad it came up fast. And Wally meets Dick in the second part!

lack-4-a-better-name: Thank you!

irenerb: Thank you!

randomkitty101: Sorry it took so long, glad you enjoyed the last chapter :D

Threaded Needles: :) Not telling how it goes, but I didn't look at the Flashpoint:Paradox, so I'm not sure how it goes in the movie, I'm making my own speedster thing up.

RollingUpHigh: I know what you mean! So it's not sadistic at all! And I love Barry and Hal, so together they are awesome!

Queen of deNile: Thank you! The next chapter will be Saturday now

Nehamee: Thank you!

Leradomi: Thank you! I'm sorry this update wasn't as quick!

Godgirl4ever: Not in this story, but there's only two more chapters to go, maybe three. The second part yes.

Ally Marton: Aha, thank you! That made my day! Hal is definitely an influence on Wally :P Rudolph is well, so fun to write (I know, I'm a terrible person). Robin jumps in the next section of this story. And I hope you enjoyed the explanation!


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: You know.**

**So, the new update days will be Wednesdays and Saturdays. Originally I was going to do Tuesdays, but for reasons undisclosed, that failed (I was too tired and fell asleep). More importantly, however, this new chapter sets the tone and answers a lot of questions people have been asking! As well, Robin will not show up in this section of the story, (sorry!) but the story ends in another chapter (Saturday) and then after that I start up the next section of the story in which Robin does appear! Yay! And the overall plot is divided into three sections, so this is like the pre-prequel to the eventual story. **

* * *

**Hal and the Garricks**

After the torn up sequence of tears that Wally was shamed to admit ever occurred, a lot in his life began to change. A month later, his last year of elementary school ended, with unfortunately dismal results. For one thing, he failed English class. And history. And math. The last one came as a shocker to everyone who knew him, because Wally was generally good at math. He had to be, after all, since his heart and soul were engrossed in science. His math teacher even admitted that it wasn't failure for not knowing the answers, it was just that he didn't write them on paper, or his tests were incomplete when he handed them in. The rest of his grades barely scraped C's.

The teachers blamed it on the fact that he was only a twelve year old boy who had just been traumatized. That, combined with missing a near two months of school for his freak lightning and chemical accident must have made things difficult for him. They decided to let him into high school, despite not being near ready for it, and hope for the best. At worst, the teachers reasoned, he'd be put into a special program. However, to minimize the chances of failure, Wally was stuck taking summer school and tuition to make sure he was prepared for the challenge that would be high school.

His parents were extremely disappointed by his failures. His father complained to anyone that listened about how Wally's science-obsession had gone and made him retarded. His mother had sent him off to Aunt Iris to avoid angering his father as soon as summer began. A part of Wally died at the fact that his mother refused to speak with him about the matter, merely choosing to open a bottle of wine and tell him to pack his bags. Uncle Barry had made the offer to tutor him. Mary had been extremely distant with her son since the accident, and not a soul could understand what was going through the doting mother's mind.

Wally minded it all, of course. But it was hard to miss home when he was with Barry. Ever since finding out that his Uncle was the Flash, he'd wanted to spend every minute with him and Aunt Iris. And they with him. Especially since the accident that was never mentioned in the house again. Wally loved that they never brought it up. His parents used the accident far too often to taunt Wally, and he adored that his Uncle and Aunt avoided bringing up the one thing in life that had failed him and brought about so much havoc. He loathed the accident. It was the single most awful memory of his life. As long as Wally lived, he'd never get over the disappointment of waking up and not being the Flash. Of waking up and finding that he couldn't even do the most basic of math without getting a headache. Of waking up and being unable to read the words on the page anymore. All because of one _mistake_.

The Flash, however, was the coolest person ever, and helped alleviate the tension somewhat. His Uncle showed Wally things he could do at super-speed, often taking delight as Wally sat on the sidelines and calculated things for him. And Wally marveled as his Uncle put his hand through the kitchen table, or ran to Philadelphia to grab them the best cheese steaks he'd ever had. He marveled at how much his Uncle Barry could eat, and delighted in his Aunt Iris's exasperated sighs.

The most special incident resulted as his Uncle ran them to Coast City in under a half hour, Wally disguised as a mini-Flash in case anyone saw them. Hal had been right disappointed, before using the ring to dress Wally up like Green Lantern and fly them up into space. Uncle Barry refused to speak with Hal for a week after that incident, since he'd been abandoned to the ground. Nonetheless, Wally always shut his eyes and thought of the beauty of the solar system when everything got to be too much. Hal had understood, of course. He knew why Wally had needed to see the entire universe. To realize that the one mistake of his life had no importance in the grand scheme that was the universe. And it was thrilling. To see the sun, in all it's majesty. To see the stars, dotted along and glowing. To see the planets, lazily resting in the black crevasse of space. It made him feel small, human, and more importantly, that it was okay to be human. That it was okay to fail, because there was more out there for him. Sometimes, Wally wondered if Hal was smarter than he acted. That day, it seemed like the universal truth.

_"You protect all of this?!" squeaked Wally, once the initial awe of space wore off. A comet streaked by, so much slower than Wally had expected from the speeds discussed in his text book. _

_"All of it and more," laughed Hal, grinning mischievously at Wally's expression, "I protect an entire sector kid, this- this is just a small piece of the entire pie." _

_"Woah," breathed Wally, going back to stunned silence as he placed his hands at the green energy orb surrounding them, keeping the oxygen for the two Earthlings to breathe in space. _

_"Beautiful isn't it?" asked Hal calmly, as he placed a hand on Wally's shoulder. "When I was younger, my dad used to take me up in the plane, and he'd show me the world from the sky. It was the best feeling in the world, especially after a really bad day. The whole world just faded away and seemed unimportant. Inconsequential, like nothing really mattered. After dad died, I could only really feel that calmness again when I was in the sky, and the whole world faded away. Nobody really understood that. They all thought I should be terrified of getting back in a plane, after the way dad died, but when I took to it like a fish in water they were all blown away. And after becoming Green Lantern, it was even easier to find peace within myself. I just came up to the sky, and the world became a speck in my eye and it all just became okay." _

_"You're lucky," said Wally softly, not even hearing the words slip from his mouth. _

_"So are you," replied Hal, "This entire thing, the world, it's yours Wally. After a bad day, I can bring you here any time you want. And one day, when you're old enough, you'll find something that makes you feel at peace, after the bad days. Maybe even now. Maybe tomorrow. And you'll love it as much as I love this. But that's why I brought you up here, Kid. This is- I mean- I'm not sappy, not like Barry, but if you ever need to get away from it all, just know I'm here for you. And so is Barry, and Iris. Take your time to get better, and feel better. Because this- this won't change for the next thousand or so years, maybe more. Unless Sinestro or someone decides to try for Apocalypse four point oh, or what not. But just- yeah." _

_Hal clammed up, not used to emotional displays, and Wally went red in the face and ears. Years of his parents had made him uneasy with dealing with his own emotions. Yet, in the last two months, he'd had two outbursts of emotions. He wiped away the tears threatening to pour from his eyes and gave a sniffy nod. Hal ruffled his hair, and the two went back to Earth and got an earful about responsibility and keeping the comm-link open. But the secretive grins that the two exchanged made it all worth it. Even if Iris banned Hal from seeing Wally for a month after hearing that story. _

* * *

After that incident, a week passed and Iris's temper cooled. Barry got over it in a few hours, and worked to make her understand. Uncle Hal came over every couple of days. Wally had been fascinated with the power of the Ring Hal used. He'd tried to understand the physics behind it, but it was too complicated for the average teenager, and it really sucked that he just couldn't focus on anything anymore. It was getting hard to pick up the more advanced concepts the ring used when his mind couldn't stay concentrated on anything. Even simple division was stressful. Nonetheless, It had become Wally's new challenge. Privately, when Uncle Barry and Aunt Iris had gone out for a date night, Uncle Hal told Wally that when he was eighteen, Hal would try and get him a ring, or at least he'd take Wally to Oa. The idea was thrilling, that his Uncle Hal thought he could be a superhero, even if the colors were all wrong. Maybe he could become a Red Lantern, or Yellow- but Hal said no to the yellow thing. Something about Sinestro.

Today, however, today the_ Garricks_ had come over. Jay Garrick, the original Flash, was nothing like what Wally had expected. He was old and wise, like Barry on steroids, but he had a wicked sense of humor. And his wife was nice and pleasant, and she never pinched his cheeks like the horror stories about grandmothers he'd heard. But she cooked heavenly food. Even better than Aunt Iris. And she had no compunctions about taking over the kitchen despite it not being her own house. In fact, she seemed right at home in there.

"So Barry told us all about your accident," said Jay, as they settled down to eat. Wally had been quietly staring at the old couple in awe, because this was Barry's hero. He was like, a double-hero, because of that mere little thing.

"He- He did?" squeaked Wally, sitting up straighter and flushing a dark red. So not the way to introduce him, Barry!

"While it was stupid to try such a stunt, I'm impressed. Not many kids out there would try something like that. It takes a lot of bravery," said Jay with a kind smile, and Wally felt relieved that the man wasn't going to lecture him. Infinitely a thousand times cooler already.

"Well, there's no way I would want a partner. "If something happened to him on my watch, I don't think I'd be able to handle it," said Barry stubbornly and sternly. He seemed to be making an effort to emphasize this fact around Wally, in case he tried again. As if. Wally wasn't ready for that kind of disappointment again.

"It's a shame though," continued Jay stubbornly, "I mean, the Flash legacy ends with you Barry. I always thought after you took up the cowl that it would have more substance than that. Something for generations to come. That it would become something greater. And Wally's a bright kid. He'd have made a great heir to the legacy."

"You think I could be a Fl-l_a_ash?" squeaked Wally, his voice doing that annoying cracking thing that came along with the onset of puberty, and his eyes big and wide, and Oh-my-mister-old-Flash! This guy was rising quickly to be on par with Uncle Barry!

"You've got the Flash guts," said Jay with a wink, grinning as he reached over and ruffled Wally's hair.

"Thank you!" exclaimed Wally bright tomato red, as Iris and Joan brought the dinner over. Roast turkey, mashed potatoes, pork chops and a salad. Followed by a pasta and rice and dinner rolls. Wally gazed hungrily at the table covered in food. His appetite had been increasing ever since the accident, and it seemed like his days as a picky child eater were foregone for inhaling the food around him, like the other boys in his class.

"Slow down their kiddo," said Iris from beside him as they were eating, and Wally shoved down a spoon of mashed potatoes followed by half a dinner roll, "You're going to get sick if you eat that fast!"

"M'sorry," he said quickly, slowing down slightly, and boy was it hard. A small frown graced his features. He was fairly sure he _had_ been eating slowly and politely, to make a good impression. He didn't notice Jay's eyes narrowing at the comment.

"I swear, you've gained such an appetite for a skinny little thing," said Barry with a fond chuckle, speeding his hand through Wally's hair, but slow enough that he didn't cause a friction burn. Wally threw his uncle a shy grin, squirming slightly in his seat. It was always such a shock to leave home and stay with the Allens where affection was so freely given over criticism.

"Jay was skinny as a boy too," said Joan as she smiled kindly at Wally from across the table, "But he filled out over the years. Especially once he started playing football, and I bet Wally will as well. So how is school Wally?"

Wally winced, and began picking at his food, appetite gone. He didn't know how to explain that he'd gone from a genius kid- to a stupid kid. As if he wasn't problematic enough. As if the bullies didn't have enough to pick on him about. Now he was zapped _stupid. _All because he'd tried to become a hero. Because he'd let himself dream about something unattainable for a brat like him. For the weirdo.

Iris, thank gods for her, answered and smoothed the entire thing over, "He's been having a bit of trouble since the accident, especially on focus. It's been rough, but he'll pick back up."

"Huh," said Jay, so quietly that Wally almost didn't hear, but he glanced at Jay, a little embarrassed. He couldn't tell what Jay meant by that. It was suddenly making him self-conscious. What if Jay thought less of him for being stupid? He didn't want that! What he didn't realize was Jay glanced right back at him, and looked at him analytically. "Well, that's not a big deal, we've all had a rough week or two. Barry should bring you around our house more often. We need some spunk in our home, what do you say Kid?"

"Really?" squeaked Wally again, sitting up tall, and then throwing a pleading glance at Barry, "Can I Uncle B? Can I?"

"I don't see why not," said Barry with a smile, before throwing a playful at Joan and adding, "Provided that Joan's okay with it."

"Joan's okay with it," said Jay immediately.

"Oh am I?" asked the old woman, crossing her arms and looking at her husband in amusement.

"You are okay with it, right hon?" asked Jay, throwing her a pleading look.

"Don't try that on me mister. Almost sixty-five years of marriage and I'm immune to any of your puppy-dog eyes! Besides, you're going to be ninety-two next year mister! You're far too old for this!" replied Joan easily.

"Help me out Kid," said Jay, and immediately Wally put on his best pleading look. His green eyes went wide, a small pout on his face as he glanced downwards. The glance was out of pure unease. Uncle Hal had told him to look up, but he couldn't meet Joan's eyes if she said no. He was squirming in his seat with nerves as they waited for her answer.

Joan wavered, and then threw her hands up as she said, "Now how can I say no to that?"

* * *

Almost two weeks after his dinner with the Garricks, Aunt Iris dropped Wally off to spend the day with Jay. Wally had gone back to spending the weekdays at home, especially since he needed to go to summer school in Keystone. And the Weekends were at Central. Surprisingly, it hadn't been long for Jay to call and invite him over.

The old man answered the door with surprising limberness for a man in his nineties. Wally was super excited as he walked in. Despite hearing kids whine about spending time with their grandparents and listening to boring stories or lectures, Wally was looking forward to that. His only grand-parent figure had been Grandpa Ira, and he was so absent-minded that half the time he forgot Wally was even there. Somehow, Wally doubted Jay would be like that, and even if he just wanted to lecture about the good ol' days, Wally wanted to listen. He doubted the first Flash's stories were boring.

More than that, the week had been frustrating. Everyone was telling him he was too fidgety, and no matter how hard he tried to bury himself in the summer homework he'd been given, his mind just wandered. Or he didn't stop to show the work, or he tore the paper apart because he was writing too quickly or with too much force. Worse, he couldn't read anything without getting dizzy. The numbers and words spun in his mind, and it was so difficult to slow down and read each word individually.

Physically, his body was clumsier than ever. He'd been breaking a lot of things lately. He'd broken three glasses getting water for himself. He couldn't explain what happened. One minute he was drinking the water, the next he'd put the glass down and it would smash in his hand. He'd broken his video-game controller while playing because the button was pressed too hard. He'd torn his bed-sheets while making his bed, and that had been bizarre because he couldn't even pinpoint how it happened. None of it made sense. Sure Wally had always been a bit clumsy, but never like this. It only angered his dad further and made his mother more distant. Her disappointment with him was more cutting than anything else.

"Wally!" said Jay, clapping him on his shoulder, "Come on in kid! How you been? Joan's at her book club, but she'll be back in another hour or so, but with Joan, that could be three hours or more. I swear, she and those ladies of hers, once they start talking they don't stop! Then again, she may just be trying to escape from me. Almost sixty-five years of marriage kid, and we didn't make it that far by spending every minute together, trust me."

"I've been good sir," said Wally immediately, as he followed Jay into his small town house.

Jay was nothing like his late grandfather Ira. Where Ira had been so lost in his thoughts, Jay was so solidly focused. Where Ira had crazy hair and a rotund belly, Jay sported a military cut and was still fit for a man his age. Where Ira had been slow and absent-minded, Jay was fast and sharp. And Wally adored Jay as much as he adored his late grandfather. Even if this was only his second meeting.

"So, tell me how you've been for real," said Jay with a chuckle, as he lead them over to the couch. And Wally was amazed that Jay seemed to move so fast, when everyone else around him moved so slowly. It was agonizing waiting for his mother to finish cooking, or watching his dad mow the lawn. They just moved so slowly. Probably because Jay was a speedster, even if he was retired.

"Well," said Wally shyly, "It's been hard since the accident, sir."

"Drop that sir thing, call me Jay," said the man, smiling at Wally with kind brown eyes.

"Uh, sure Jay," said Wally, and then nervously he launched into the story about the torn bed-sheets, and the broken video-game controller, and all the homework he had left to finish and how hard it was. Because you didn't lie to old people. It was disrespectful. Besides, Jay seemed interested in Wally's life, which was exhilarating. By the time Wally was done, he wondered if he'd have been able to lie to Jay and say everything was okay. He doubted it.

"Huh," said Jay again, that look on his face that Wally couldn't decipher and made Wally uncomfortable. Like he was missing something. "So, you done anything exciting besides homework?"

"Not really," said Wally with a pout, "My parents want me to get caught up, and so do Aunt Iris and Uncle Barry. They want me to take it easy since the accident so I'm stuck in my room."

"Where's the fun in that?" asked Jay with a grin, "Let's do something fun! Come with me kid, I got a great idea."

Wally obediently trailed after Jay to a small gym area in the basement of the house. It had only a treadmill and some weights, but the old man looked confident. He had that weird face on, and Wally felt like he was really missing something important.

"Want to try out my treadmill? It was specially designed for me by the government scientists back when I was young," offered Jay, and Wally gave him a confused look.

"Why?" Wally wanted to ask, but he didn't. Instead, he just did as he was told. This was a_ superhero_ he was dealing with. The treadmill was sleek and black, with gold lightning bolts on the handle. The screen was sleek, but Jay turned it to face himself as he stood at the front of the treadmill. He pressed some buttons, and then smiled at Wally in a reassuring manner, and Wally was convinced it was okay.

"Alright kid," said Jay with a grin, "All you have to do is start running. This thing here will clock how fast you're going, so go all out."

Wally felt a little weird running on the speedster's treadmill, but did so anyway. He hardly doubted he'd be able to even touch Jay's records, but he was positive he could hardly make an impact. The thought was a little depressing, as he slowly began to run. Idly he wondered how this treadmill worked, and the mechanics behind it. Maybe when he was smart again, he could figure it out. Wally slowly let his thoughts fade, though, as he ran. He was home, at peace. THe calmness only Hal had made him feel in space returned, stronger and more meditative. Like he was in a trance. He really went all out, and it was amazing. He shut his eyes as he let himself run until-

"Stop! Wally- Kid! _Stop_!"

Wally opened his eyes, and slowly decelerated himself to a stop. He looked worriedly at Jay Garrick, who's eyes were wide and looked amazed. Wally suddenly felt very conscious, and he wondered if he'd screwed up again. If he'd done something stupid. Had he broken the treadmill?

"_What'dIdo_?" asked Wally nervously, looking at Jay's astonished face.

"Kid, I think we need to talk," said Jay, as he showed him the screen to the treadmill.

Wally didn't see it at first, until he saw the corner of the screen that said, average speed. 438.2 kilometres per hour. Oh. _Oh_. When he looked back into Jay's face, he was grinning widely. And Wally couldn't help the grin that came onto his face too.

* * *

"It- It was a_ success_?" asked Iris, sitting across from Jay with a shocked expression.

Just minutes ago, Wally had burst in through the door, followed by Jay, at super-speed. The kid was moving at_ super-speed,_ and talking faster then Iris could understand clear enough, but she picked out the details. The accident was a success. Wally was a speedster. Her nephew had done what nobody else could. He'd blown himself up and become a meta-human. Her hands shook at the implications despite the pride blossoming in her heart.

"I've been running tests with him all afternoon," said Jay proudly, "The kid's fast, and with the right training, he could get a lot faster."

"How? I mean- I didn't- how'd you-

Barry was at a loss for words, while Wally sat on the arm-chair, looking like the king of the world. He was grinning like a maniac, but was silent as Jay and Barry conversed.

"Don't blame yourself," said Jay easily, "I only picked up on it because the kid seemed a little faster then normal. Most people would blame it on hyper-activity or some nonsense, but considering how you and Iris described the kid, and then considering the accident and the sudden changes, I decided to test it out."

"And I can be your _sidekick_ Uncle Barry! We can be speedsters together!" said Wally proudly, "You can teach me about my speed and I can race you to Philadelphia for cheese-steaks instead of having to be piggy-backed!"

"Hold up kid," said Jay with a good-natured chuckle, "You're not that fast yet, and if my guess is right, you're speed's still kicking in."

"What- What do you mean?" asked Iris, taken aback. Kicking in? Wasn't the speed just supposed to be all there? She glanced at Barry, who looked equally confused.

"He's a lot slower than Barry or I," said Jay, as Wally's smile faltered, "But I have a few theories for that. It could partially be from the fact that the kid's still growing. Or the fact that he'd done the experiment differently than us. Barry and I, we were adults when our accidents happened, our bodies weren't changing yet. Wally was doing the experiment in a much more controlled environment. Barry, he's a lot faster than I am, which could suggest that the proportions of the chemicals and lightning made him a lot faster. But Wally, he used the approximations of what Barry was guessing from his own recollection of the experiment, and those could be off."

"So- I'm going to be_ slow_ forever?" asked Wally, sounding heart-broken. And Iris wanted to laugh or cry at the insanity of the statement. The Fastest Kid alive was worried he was too slow. That he still wasn't enough.

"Not forever," said Jay quickly, apparently not immune to Wally's heart-broken look, "But like I said, that speed's still settling in. It's probably the reason why he's been failing his classes though. His body is being forced to rest, but his mind has been in overdrive and he just can't concentrate. You said his teachers couldn't decipher his writing? Or he had partial answers? It's because he's writing things too quickly, or thinking them too fast, that his body wasn't able to keep up. I tracked the speed the kid can talk at, and we were nearly matched in speed-talk before the treadmill. He didn't even realize he was speed-talking, or that I was either. After that, he went on the treadmill and he was running, which pretty much confirmed that his body is as fast as his mind, maybe more. And I tracked the speed at which he could do simple math questions, and then some more complex stuff. His mind is really fast, faster than I could even keep up- but then, I was no scientist type. As far as I can tell, there's absolutely no reason why his body shouldn't speed up as he practices using his speed."

"But, he's just a child," said Iris, as Barry absorbed those words quietly, "You and Barry were adults when you gained your speed. You said- It could be- different."

"He's the first speedster_ kid_," said Jay with a sigh, "We have no idea what we're working with here. A lot of what we're doing is guess work. As he grows, the speed will manifest hopefully like it did with Barry and I, but, well, there's a lot at work while he's growing and we have no control over how it goes."

Everyone was silent at those ominous words. Iris hated the idea of her nephew being a controlled experiment for the rest of his life. Wally, on the other hand, didn't seem phased in the slightest. One look at his smile, his heart-wrenching and infectious smile, and Iris realized there was no going back. Barry seemed to pick up on the same thing.

"Looks like we're going to need to start training, huh kid?" said Barry, and then he was enveloped in the tightest hug as Wally hollered his thank-yous and clung to his uncle like a leech.

* * *

Review replies:

Queen of deNile, Irenerb, SmileItsFiction, Zewy, juniper294: Thank you!

Guest: Thank you! More Hal stuff in this chapter!

TheProfessor47: I didn't want to look at the physical abuse, more at the emotional abuse and how that affects Wally's personality.

Kazyre: Aww! Hal doesn't punch anyone in the face yet :( But Barry and Hal are like, tied, for Wally's father figures, with Hal being the funner-dad in my head, and Barry the like actual-dad-figure. Besides, not gonna lie, your story's portrayal of Hal was brill!

Kayla/Forever Frosted: Lool! I've done that before as well, no worries on the password. And thank you! Your review made my week, personally, and I adored reading it. And sorry that you'll have to wait for Dick!

Threaded Needles: Answered that question :)

little miss Banana Head: All your reviews were so sweet to read! And I won't answer the question about adoption just yet :P

Immaworkin: No idea, but it's like a drug for most people, whumping on Wally, isn't it? o.0

Yuu101cutie: Thank you! And man, I'm so glad Hal's character is coming across well. I worry about it, especially with this chapter since Hal's maturity is hard to portray without ruining aspects of his character. And I'm really glad the message comes across well.

CrazyDyslexicNerd: Haha, can't promise the hug drive, but Robin is a long ways away still, so sorry :(

don'ttouchmepeasant: Iris won't be pregnant for this story, no. Sorry about that! I do like the idea though, but I want to keep the focus on the West-family and Wally in particular.


	7. Not a real Chapter 7

Author's Note:

I really hate disappointing everyone with this for an update instead of actual plot. But really, what I want to say is sort of kind of important. First off, I will NOT be updating until next Saturday. Originally this story was supposed to be 6 chapters, then I added in the last chapter, so I was going to make it 7. But, being me, I ended up changing things with the plot, reworking ideas, and the final chapter for this story actually works better as the intro for the next section in this story. Unfortunately, and this really sucks, I'm so behind in writing the next section of the story that well, it's shameful. And in order to ensure that once I start posting the next section that the updates are on schedule, I'm taking a wee break until next week when the story will return as scheduled on a bi-weekly basis every Wednesday and Saturday.

On that note however, I am really sorry, but there will be no update until next Saturday. However, I can guarantee that Robin will be in the next section as most people have requested, that we'll also see Roy (Yes, Speedy makes an appearance finally!), we'll see aspects of Rudy West's character and Mary (they don't disappear as much as everyone wants them to, this story is sort of angsty, besides I have to whump on Wally somehow), and the Garrick family is going to play a much larger role in Wally's life. On that note, Hal's presence in the story does slightly diminish (And he's not even all that around to begin with!) but not by much mostly because of all the new characters.

As for the division of this story, I was originally going to post it separately, but that's a pain in the ass, and I'm not going to do that because does not have the superior 'series' thing that AO3 has. Instead, they'll all be posted here, which is why the title of the story changed to just 'Enough' because the various sections of the story are all titled with Enough. This story is split into three sections, with the first two really just being teasers to the overarching plot in section three.

Again, I'm really sorry to do this to you, but well, plot is plot. School sucks. Just finished writing my thesis paper that if I don't write I don't graduate (Fun stuff that was) and I have to start working on University applications this week. So yeah.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: NEW chapter and I'm still not the owner. **

**Anyways, this is the second Installment of the series. I call it Ticking, because well... :P **

**Also, this week in school- crazy busy. I have a quiz, two labs and a unit test for Chemistry. My last quiz nearly killed my mark since my teacher threw on some stuff from vague sections of the textbook, so now I have to kill myself to get my mark back up (Especially since I plan to go into science!) and well, yeah. Not to mention a history presentation (25 minutes of pure talking!) and a philosophy paper/journal type thing all due this week. I don't know what my teachers are thinking when they do this. **

**On the brighter side, I finally got my new laptop battery! That means, and I say this with as much excitement as I can- I CAN WRITE IN SCHOOL! Yes, that's right, I can finally write during my lunch hour, and during some other classes when I'm bored. Though, I got to warn you, with such a busy week, not much writing may get done at all... Nonetheless, this week let me get ahead some, and I'll probably write another two chapters before it's over and we should be good and not have another break in update days at least until November! Yay! **

**So I'm done ranting. This is the story. Please enjoy! **

* * *

**Part Two: Ticking **

**The West Conundrum**

"You want Wally to spend the summer with you?" asked Mary blankly, sitting across from Iris, Barry and Jay in her living room. Over the years, the couches had become worn and the fabric was slightly pinched and weathered. The walls were covered in family photos taken at various events, but overall, it was a rather pleasant atmosphere. Except the people inhabiting it were filling the air with tension. Wally was sitting beside his mother, his hands locked in hers. Rudy was standing beside the couch, his face twisted into a scowl.

"We think it could be beneficial for Wally to stay with us and work on his focus," said Iris pleasantly, "It's really a simple program. Jay here has worked with kids who've suffered recent trauma and Barry and I are positive that he'll have Wally back in shape in no time at all."

"It'll be great mom!" said Wally enthusiastically, squeezing her hands as Mary glanced warily between the three adults and her son, "Mr. G is totally cool! We ran through some exercises and I managed to finish two of my homework sheets for science!"

Nobody added the fact that Jay had had to read the sheet to Wally, first in speed-talk, and then very slowly, before Wally's mind had been able to slow down and process the information. All of his answers had to be written down by Jay while Wally computed the work. The boy was still unable to properly read any of his assignments. And nobody wanted to explain to Mary that her son was now able to run faster than the average car.

Prior to the meeting with his parents, the adults and Hal had come to a conclusion to inform the Wests of Wally's new powers after Wally had them in control a bit more. While Barry and Iris had been insistent that they should know right away, Hal had vehemently argued that the last thing that Wally needed was to struggle to be normal in his home environment. Hal had taken to hating the Wests ever since the emotional outburst by Wally after being dismissed from the hospital. As far as Hal was concerned, the Wests shouldn't even be a part of Wally's life. While both Barry and Iris were inclined to agree with him, they still insisted that the Wests were family. However, both Jay and Hal had agreed that the shock of being a speedster would be a bit too much for Wally's very ordinary parents, and that the grocery bills alone, once they started to come in, would probably cause the Wests to worry about things that Wally wasn't able to control. _Besides, _said Hal, _Why add another thing for Rudy to use as ammunition in breaking the kid's spirit?_ Thus the argument was won, and they decided to keep this a secret from the Wests until such time that Wally was in control of himself.

_"__Do you think we're doing the right thing not telling Mary and Rudy about this?" asked Iris to Barry. Two hours after Jay and Hal had headed home, they had retired to their own room to discuss the situation privately. At the end of the day, it was their decision after all. _

_ "Honestly, I don't know," said Barry with a heavy sigh, "I'm hardly the biggest West fan at the moment, but he is their son. If it were us, I'd want to know that sort of thing immediately." _

_ Both of them __felt awkward at that__. After Barry had first told Iris about his powers, and they were discussing their future together, both had agreed children weren't an option. __Barry always felt guilty about taking away that option for Iris, but with the way his powers were, and the uncertainty of it all, the two had agreed to follow the example of the Garricks and just not have children. Neither, of course, had gone to the lengths Jay and Joan had in getting a vasectomy, but they had made the decision together and were rigid about being safe. _

_ "It's odd, but I sort of understand Joan now," said Iris with a little smile, "And how easily she accepted you into her life. A speedster, around the age of a son would be- well, it's nice. Makes me feel maternal." _

_ "Oh please, you've always been like a mother to the kid," said Barry with a grin, "But I know what you mean. The speed, it's like he's really ours." _

_ They both went silent after that. It was one thing to enjoy the pretense of being Wally's parents when they took him to the movies or the zoo, it was another thing entirely to admit it out loud. Perhaps the situation would have been different if Mary and Rudy were loving and kind parents to their son, perhaps if the West and Allen family got along, but it wasn't the case. As soon as those words left Barry's mouth, he paled dramatically, and Iris went still. Neither said anything for a very long time. They simply turned off the lights, and went to sleep. _

It was in this moment that Iris felt the gnawing sensation of guilt clawing back into her heart from that night. Mary reached out to lovingly stroke Wally's hair, while Rudy gave a sort of grunt and sat down beside his son. It was so_ wrong _of her to feel jealous. It wasn't entirely fair of her to be angry with her brother and sister-in-law for not being good parents, because it wasn't borne entirely out of anger at their treatment of Wally at all. Rather, the anger was borne from the thought that she could do _better. _That they didn't deserve to be parents. That she_ did._ And if that didn't make her dishonorable for wanting to take their son away, she didn't know what did.

"It sounds lovely dear," said Mary flatly, not sharing the enthusiasm Wally seemed to have, "I just don't understand why Wally can't commute from home. Why does he have to go _your_ house and be away from _his parents_ all summer?"

Iris felt her hand clench involuntarily into a fist, as she met Mary's cold green eyes. It was unfair that both women were linked by that characteristic, as was Wally. Iris ignored that little thought to keep her eyes on Mary. Barry and Jay were discussing the commuting issue, and Jay's old age, but all Iris could do was stare Mary down. Her blood went cold as she kept thinking over the words Mary had used. Mary _knew _of her sinful thoughts. And apparently, all her years of marriage with Rudy had taught her how to slyly toss subtle barbs at Iris's face. Barbs that cut in places Iris couldn't protect herself.

"He's with his Aunt and Uncle, Mary," said Iris quietly, "You don't think we care for him any_ less_ than you, do you?"

The room went still, as both Barry and Jay quieted. Iris had cut Jay off mid-sentence. Something she never did, out of respect for the old man. Rudy's eyes shifted from Barry and Jay to the confrontation boiling between his sister and wife. Wally remained oblivious as his mother clenched his hands even tighter.

"Wally, why don't you and I head upstairs and take a peak at your homework assignments?" said Jay quickly, bouncing up with virility that should have been impossible for a man his age, "We can sort them out."

"Go with Mr. Garrick, Wally," said Rudy immediately, as Barry placed a comforting hand on his wife's fist.

"Ah, alright," said the boy, stumbling to his feet and letting Jay lead him out with a last curious glance towards his mother and aunt.

Mary had remained quiet throughout the entire exchange. Her eyes only left Iris's to follow Wally out the door. Once he was gone, she turned back to Iris, and her lips were thin. There seemed to be some sort of steeliness in Mary's eyes that Iris had never seen before. Mary was always the meek and quiet sister-in-law that walked beside Rudy, like a good little wife. Iris wasn't a mean woman, but she'd always thought less of Mary for it. She'd never understood how Mary could be alright with being so submissive with her husband. Not in this day and age. Not when Iris was ambitious herself. It was just hard to relate to Mary. However, she'd never held it against Mary. She enjoyed being Mary's friend. Once upon a time. Iris doubted she and Mary could consider themselves friends for a long time now.

"Well, do you?" asked Iris impatiently, her own uneasiness about that fierce look in Mary's eyes transferring into her argument. A good reporter was supposed to be patient, a listener. But Iris wasn't a reporter right now.

"I don't doubt that you care for Wally," said Mary coldly, as though she very much disagreed with her own words, "However, he's my son Iris. And nobody can love and care for a son quite like his own _mother._"

Iris felt her breath leave her as Barry suddenly went rigid beside her. Neither had expected Mary of all people to deliver such a blow. Rudy seemed a bit taken aback himself, but unlike the horror in his eyes, a sort of pride filled his own. Iris didn't know what to say to that. She had never expected Mary to throw that in her face. There had been a time where Mary used to lovingly say Iris was Wally's city mother, the one they visited when they went to the city. Apparently somewhere along the lines, that idea had collapsed.

"Iris loves Wally as if he were her own Mary," said Barry quietly, tightening his hold on Iris's hand, "She'd never do anything to harm him. We just want what's best for him, and Jay is the best person to help Wally."

Iris loved Barry, she did. But this was hardly a confrontation about what was best for Wally. This was something else. This was an argument that apparently Iris had missed over the years. This was a statement that she'd let fester in Mary's psyche and was now attacking her. And this was hardly going to go away by a few kind words or an apology.

But Iris once again found herself surprised by Barry's own ability to diffuse a situation. Whatever steel that had entered Mary's eyes suddenly disappeared, and she looked worn and tired. Aged almost. Rudy sighed as well, releasing a heavy breath and their eyes turned to Barry.

"This will help the boy?" said Rudy sternly, "You're sure it will make him get better? Become normal again?"

"Jay is the best of the best," said Barry calmly, "I'd trust him with my life."

"Then we'll go through with it," said Rudy, as Mary stood up and left to the kitchen. Normally Iris would follow her, but right now, she just sat in her seat. Her head was spinning. If Iris were the type of woman to smoke, she'd probably need a cigarette right about now. As it were, Iris's one vice was coffee. And boy did she need a hot mug of it right now. Maybe two.

"Great," said Barry with a relieved sigh. "I'll go-

"I'll get Wally," said Rudy immediately, cutting off Barry, "He is _my_ son."

Barry stiffened like Iris had, but let it go as Rudy stood up. As he left the room, Barry took in a gulp of air, and then turned to Iris. She was pale and her eyes looked lost. Barry reached out and stroked the back of her spine with one finger, and she leaned into his shoulder. This was by no means an ideal situation, but it was what it was.

* * *

After dropping Jay back to his home, the Allens and Wally returned to the small apartment they called home. Iris sent Wally straight to bed after dinner. Jay was going to start working with Wally tomorrow morning. They only had three weeks of this summer to try and deal with the outbreak of the speed latching onto Wally, and try and control it. Combined with the anniversary of the Justice League's first year, the household was going to be busy.

"Barry," said Iris once they were in the sanctity of their bedroom, "Do you think we should have told them?"

"I don't know," said Barry with a troubled expression, "Hal and Jay are right when they said that we need to focus on Wally, but, after today, I'm starting to wonder if we're doing the right thing by excluding the Wests. He is their son."

Iris scowled as she replied miserably, "Oh, they made that _very_ clear today. They're going to hate us even more when they realize Wally's speed and its connection to us."

"Who said that they hate us?" asked Barry quickly, trying to appease his wife, "They're just upset with the situation."

"Barry, don't try and defend them," said Iris sternly, as she climbed into their bed together and let down her red hair from it's usual pony-tail, "Mary's jealous of us, and her jealousy is making her hate us. She doesn't know to handle the fact that Wally prefers being with us than them. And can we blame him for it? It's not like those two provide the happiest home environment for him. If today was anything to go by, Mary's been hating me for a long time."

Iris swallowed heavily at that, and Barry sighed, and took her into his arms. Neither of them knew what to say, but they were worried.

"We'll deal with it," said Barry with firm conviction in his voice, "Right now we need to focus on Wally and helping him acclimate to the speed. No distractions. We'll deal with the Wests later on. And their issues with us. And what does it matter if they can't stand us as long as they treat Wally alright? That's what this all boils down to, isn't it? Wally. As long as he doesn't get caught in the crossfire, then we can deal with it."

* * *

**Review Replies:**

The Ghost of Magic: Thank you for being so understanding! And I didn't want to leave you guys hanging!

Kazyre: Hee :) I'm glad you understood! And for Jay's role, well, he and Joan are going to be in this story a lot more, because I love them and because they deserve some Flash family creds. They did kind of start the entire ball rolling after all! And Hal, ha, he's going to be around a LOT more, because he's awesome, even if he doesn't get as much time as Jay will (Jay's in practically every chapter from here out...)

lesbianmagari: Thank you for being so understanding!

randomkitty101: School :/ This next week is going to be killer, so I'm really glad I got a great deal of this story written in this week! And yes, Wally is now officially a speedster!

Queen of deNile, Puella Pulchra, Gabriel's Trumpet: Thank you!

ccat: Thank you! I love Hal, and you can't have a Flash story without him :D Though I gotta admit, Jay's going to get a bigger role in the next few chapters.

Ally Marton: Thank you! I love serious!Hal, even though it feels a little OOC... Ah well. And I love Jay, and he's going to be really a huge figure in the Flash family (Why was he not in the show more?) and well, yeah :P

AMMO121: Thank you! And well, the next chapters are going to be so angsty that you're going to miss the fluff :/

Yuu101cutie: There will be a LOT more Jay in the future chapters, and more Wally-parents-being-awful-but-in-a-twisted-way that I can't wait to write. Heck, I have an entire chapter planned from both Mary and Rudy's perspectives. Besides, I don't plan on them being entirely at fault... Sort of. I dunno, I feel like the blame for the situation would be too easy to put on them and that's why I don't want to write it that way... As for speedster lives.. well, they live forever, duh. Because I refuse to let any of my precious Flash family die. As for space, I want to see it someday myself, but the chances of it happening are pretty slim since I'm not going into astronautical work...

Threaded Needles: I feel guilty because Robin's still like at least another ten chapters away...

irenerb: Thanks, love Jay, so much more with him to come!

star-eye: Don't worry, I cheered too and I knew what I was writing lol

Guest: Not for another ten chapters is Robin making an entry. Roy comes first actually...


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: NEW chapter and I'm still not the owner. **

**OMG. We're reaching that hundred chapter mark and this story isn't even ten chapters yet! I got to love you guys, and that makes me feel like I'm doing something right! So this near 6000+ word chapter is all for you readers for spoiling me! **

**Anyways, honestly, this chapter wasn't supposed to get this long. It was 4000 words. Then I edited and 2000 words sort of slipped in. Apparently my ideas only grow when I'm battling a cold that has kept me awake for two nights in a row because my nose gets too clogged to breathe. Worse, I have the chem lab due tomorrow night (Our teacher gave us an extension!), a chem test Friday, and philosophy due tomorrow night as well. Meh. Six hours of sleep is enough to work through it. **

**More than that, this chapter developed into an entire Jay & Wally session of fun stuff! The next chapter has Hal again, as well as the entire friggin Justice League (Batman is my favorite character to write, but that's because my attempts to write him seriously all go back to the giggly girl I am and he ends up becoming the paranoid weirdo that everybody sort of works around) and more Iris. This story is sort of divided like that. It's Barry & Hal stuff in some chapters, Jay & Wally & later Joan in other chapters, and Iris bits squeezed in the middle. Somewhere along those lines, I have Roy tossed in (Robin doesn't even appear until the end, so I'm sorry to everyone whose waiting for that story- but seriously, this is Batman and Wally hasn't even gotten through civilian-security-clearance-to-meet-his-ward checks yet) and towards the end Robin and Aqualad. But really tiny glimpses of the last two. Also, in all this kerfuffle of chapters, I have the wonderful Mary and Rudy chapter which is literally like a montage of their lives and Wally's childhood, as well as the whole what-is-wrong-with-Mary situation. **

**I ended up reading a ton of Mary West moments from the comics, which totally changed the way I planned to portray her earlier so the Mary you thought I was creating, well, she's got depths to her that I didn't even think I would end up developing. **

**And the sad thing is. This next story isn't even the main plot. It's like, a sub-plot that develops all the elements for the main plot. And it's probably the size of a story all on its own. Like ten chapters easy. Probably twelve. I'm guessing. **

**And worse, most is written in my head. This rant is getting long, so my main point is that Thanksgiving weekend is next week, and because I'm sick and feeling generous and whatnot, this is my challenge to you readers who are interested! **

**Challenge that really doesn't involve any hard work beyond imagination: **

**If you enjoy this story, or my Bat-Clan Wally story, and there's something you really want to see happen, I don't care, like a fluffy Barry takes Wally to the movies for the first time or Iris and Barry's first date (I want to write these both but they'll probably work their way into the main story or I'll write them in my head and that's that. Just, be original and don't ask for it) then place a request! **

**Request by reviewing or PMing. If I have time (and judging from the way this week is shaping up, I probably will~!) than I will write them. **

**The best two ideas for sure will get written. Maybe top three. For each story. Or maybe just best two per story, or two for one and three for the other, no idea, I don't really think this stuff through. **

**Anyways, until next Wednesday I'm accepting requests, so take your time. You can place as many requests as you want, but to ensure fairness, only one request per person will be written. Each story will be listed as an in-universe One-Shot that is pure fluff (or angst, I go both ways), and they'll be like little Omakes like in manga an they'll be posted into this story itself. As for rating, I'm open to writing any rating (But be warned, I have little experience with writing good smut and I'd rather not write too much smut or boring smut or smut that makes no sense to the plot). **

**Finally, these challenges, if people enjoy them and I don't lose my mind, will make themselves apparent around holidays (So a Christmas one in the future maybe?). **

**LAST LITTLE THING! **

**This story is totally pre-slash/slash that I haven't worked out the details to. Because honestly, I love Wally/Dick, but I get tired of Dick being the feminized-girly-uke-bottom and I don't picture him that way at all. Plus, it's a little overdone. So I may do something totally out there like Wally/Kaldur because that pairing is on my mind, or Wally/Roy because I love Roy and he deserves Wally, or maybe try my hand at realistic poly-amory with Wally but the last one is depending on how much nyquil I take while writing this. **

* * *

**Part Two: Ticking**

**Speedster Basics**

Wally wasn't too sure why his Aunt and Uncle had decided not to tell his parents about the speed. But, he'd never bothered to ask either. It had been positively relieving to know that he still had time to prepare for that confrontation. Time to adjust and get back to normal. Just with an added touch of something special. The idea made him grin and blush and make a mental promise he'd never ever tell anyone that unless he wanted to go back to having to avoid the bigger guys at school and the bathrooms. Anyone heard him talking like that, they'd shove his head so far down in the toilet, they'd manage to get his head actually stuck down the toilet forever, even if it wasn't physically possible with the structure of his head and the size of the toilet. The fact that he knew that was all thanks to Uncle Barry and his anti-bully sessions to help Wally get over the fear of school. But the speed would probably be a huge bonus in dealing with school. As for his parents, well, he wasn't too sure how they'd react when they did find out about the special in him. His dad hated anything that wasn't normal, and let's face it, Wally defied normal by being a genius. Then again, so many things defied normal in his dad's dictionary that Wally wasn't too sure what exactly was normal. His mom on the other hand, well, she was always supportive. Even if they didn't talk to each other much no more.

"Wally?" called Iris from the hall, "Jay is here!"

Wally grinned and pushed off the bed, brushing aside the melancholic thoughts of his family and school, and rushed to meet Jay. He was dressed in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, but he had his running shorts already laid out on his bed in case Jay decided to go for a sprint. Maybe to some place awesome, like Mexico. He totally wanted to try tacos. The whole enhanced metabolism thing meant he could probably eat three tacos in one go! He never made it past the second before, and Hal would tease him when they'd have a competition down in Coast.

"Wally!" said Jay, grinning as he ruffled the red-head's hair, "How've you been?"

"Great," said Wally chirpily, before shyly glancing to the ground. It was still hard to be bouncy and normal around Jay, when the older man was practically like the _god_ of speedsters. He'd started it all! It was unnerving. And this was the man who was training _him_! Who'd have thought Wally West would be trained by the first ever Flash?

"Jay! I thought I heard you," said Barry with a warm smile, as he came into the hall, keys in hand and coat already on, "What are you and Wally planning for today?"

Wally was silent, but hoped Jay would say they were running. He really wanted to test out if he could go any faster than last time! Jay said he would eventually get faster, but after the one run on the treadmill three days back, he hadn't had any chance to test it out. Just getting back down from the speed he'd been at had been impossible without training, but still incredibly cool.

"Homework," said Jay, and Wally's eyes grew wide in horror. Jay caught site of his expression, and gave a short bark of laughter, as Barry tossed Wally a sympathetic smile.

"That sounds perfect," said Iris firmly, "Wally needs to get caught up! And no more dangerous speed stunts until you're trained! Listen to Jay, alright?"

"Yes Aunt Iris," muttered Wally, a small pout growing on his face as his lower lip jutted out in disappointment.

"Don't look so down kiddo," said Jay, still grinning, "We're going to use the homework to exercise that mental speed of yours. And it won't be all math and english, we'll run through a few concentration exercises as well. Joan said she'd drive up here in the afternoon to make lunch and help out, if that's alright with you Iris?"

"She's welcome here anytime," said Iris firmly, "She doesn't even need to ask!"

"Oh good, that's what I told her," said Jay with a sheepish grin.

Wally was still frowning in disappointment, so Barry bent down until they were at eye-level while Iris took the hint and lead Jay into the kitchen to show him where everything was, despite the fact that Jay already knew the layout of the flat like he knew his Flash costume.

Barry frowned at the awkwardness of his position. No longer was he able to just go on his knees, and he had long outgrown a squat. Now his bend still seemed condescending as he lowered his knees like springs, and managed to just look Wally in the eye with his spine folding unpleasantly and causing a crick in his shoulders. He refused to acknowledge that as a sign of his age. It was merely an unavoidable association of being a hero and the job getting to his bones. That's all. Besides, the more important question at hand was when had Wally grown _so_ much?

"Hey kid," he said softly, "It's not- I mean- Jay would love to take you for a run, don't mistake that. I asked him not to."

"But why?" asked Wally, so softly that Barry barely heard him, but the guilt he felt coursed through his veins and burnt every inch of his skin. Maybe he was being selfish.

"I- I wanted to be there, y'know? I already missed your first real run with speed," said Barry, suddenly able to sympathize with the older colleagues at work he knew who had been so air-headed after their first child was born. He was going to miss so much of Wally's growth because of his_ own_ responsibilities. A part of him cursed Bruce's decision to make the League public after the Mountain base had been attacked last year. Ever since he'd had to run around with all the red-tape and mission reports and it was like a another damn job on his mountain of work. Barry Allen, cop and investigator, works four to five days a week, unless he has a case and then it's eight days a week. Flash, superhero, works every night for two hours, unless there's a raid or some supervillain plot in which case he's employed indefinitely. Flash, Justice Leaguer, works every spare minute that Barry Allen and the super-hero aren't trying to tackle all the bureaucratic tape the United Nations liked to toss at the League and the occasional national or multi-national crisis.

"Oh," said Wally, brightening considerably and beaming at his uncle, with his freckles darting out and green eyes sparkling. Unfair kid. That only made him feel even guiltier. Wally should have been upset. If the kid wasn't so understanding, than he'd have let him run. He didn't deserve such a good child like this.

"You- You're sure you're okay with that?" asked Barry nervously, knowing how long that would seem in speedster time, "It's really just until the weekend, then Jay and I will take you out and we'll really run. Anywhere you want, I promise. Can you wait that long?"

"I can wait! I want to run with you!" said Wally with a fierce glint in his eye, and then he flushed, "I mean- if you _want_ to run with me."

"I'm looking forward to it," said Barry, wrapping Wally in a hug, which after a hesitant second, was returned by thin arms. Kid needed to eat more. The hospital food had turned him into a skeleton, even if Jay insisted that his metabolism had played a part in the dramatic weight loss. He had lost almost thirty pounds since the accident!

"Barry! It's almost eight thirty! You need to be at work by eight forty-five!" yelled Iris, and Barry jolted and grinned at Wally with a conspiratorial wink, "Looks like I'm going to be late again."

"Still don't get that," said Wally with a bemused expression, "Bye Uncle B!"

"See you tonight Kid," said Barry as he raced to the door with his speed, "Listen to Jay and have fun!"

Wally waved until his Uncle left, while Iris came rushing into the hall. She had a coffee mug in one hand and a bagel in the other, her large purse slung around her shoulder. A quick cheek and a 'Love you' was pressed to Wally's head above his ear, and a note shoved into his hand as she rushed out. Wally waved at both of them from the window, even though he was a bit too old to do that now at turned to read the note Iris had left him while Jay gave him the space to gather his thoughts and prepare for their first speedster session.

_Be good for Jay, and most of all, be good enough for yourself Wally. I'm proud of you! Love you._

The words 'proud' and 'enough' were both underlined, and Wally's lower lip jutted out in a manner not at all like his earlier pout. He shoved the note into his jeans, and wiped his eyes quickly. He wasn't some girl. He felt a hand on his shoulder, and turned.

"Ready to go Kid?" asked Jay, beaming down at Wally, who gave a grin back.

* * *

Jay had never really had a true protege. He'd never even anticipated having one. Then Barry had started running around in the red suit, and Jay had been taken for a toss. He'd welcomed Barry with all the love he wanted to give to a son that he and Joan had never been able to have. The man was family. And as he grew older, Jay wanted family. It was lonely around with just him and Joan. He loved his wife until death and beyond, but no marriage was built by attaching yourself to the hip. Besides, they had been together for sixty-five years, they knew each other like the back of their hands. Heck, they knew each others back of hands!

Barry added something special to their life. He was sweet, mild-mannered and helpful. He came around and did the speed thing with Jay, kept the old man off the streets and at the same time, filled a void that Jay hadn't even known was there. But he wasn't Jay's protege. Barry was faster, more skilled, and had an edge Jay couldn't teach to him. Besides, by the time Barry and he were close, Barry was self-taught already. Sure Barry had questions only Jay could answer, but Barry was a grown man. He didn't need Jay to lecture him. He took his advice, but he always asked first. And Jay never imposed it on the man. That was a line Jay wouldn't cross. If the man didn't want answers, Jay wouldn't give them. Nobody liked a back-seat driver. And his glory days had faded. He'd made his decisions and he'd ended up with a damn comfy bed.

Joan adored Barry. She doted on him like he was son by blood, though, in some ways, speed was as good, if not better, than blood. She thrived to cook a meal fit for kings and the entire court when Barry came by. He sat with her and talked and talked and talked, about cooking, the garden, the books she read, his work, anything. He gave Joan the respect that she deserved and more. He gave Joan something to look forward to, and more importantly, he gave Joan a sense of need. Being married to the woman, Jay knew how Joan felt about being needed. She always had to be helping someone, doing something, making sure everyone was okay. And for whatever reason, Barry gave her that in a way that wasn't taking advantage of her. Heck, half the time he used some infernal trick Jay still hadn't learnt to get the woman to calm down and drink a cup of tea on the porch and just relax.

And within a year of knowing Barry as the Flash and even less time of knowing Barry for Barry, he brought Iris home, as Barry Allen and Iris the girlfriend. He wanted her to meet his family. He'd told her she was the Flash.

Iris was tenacious. She was what Joan would have wanted in a daughter. Someone with a sharp tongue and loving demeanor. Someone who sympathized, who knew the ins and outs of being a superhero wife. She had someone to advise, to sympathize for, and to talk hours about the things Barry couldn't, like the clothes they bought and the recipes she tried or what to do when you're superhero lover has disappeared without a trace and you're not sure if he's coming home. That sort of thing.

Not that only Joan liked Iris. She made Jay happy too. She was the sweet woman who was interested in his hero stories. She asked questions that were far more intelligent than the regular audience could come up with. She fussed over him from the start, like a daughter would, making sure he wasn't getting in to trouble, wasn't overstretching himself, and just taking an interest in who Jay Garrick was. And it was nice to be treated as Jay and not the Flash.

Most of all, Iris made Barry happy.

And then the two were married, and Jay met Wally. Wally was a cute kid, running after Hal at the wedding reception. Jay and Joan knew Hal as Barry's friend, but Hal wasn't like Alan's Green Lantern. He was a new breed. Jay liked Hal well enough, he was a decent fellow and while some of Hal's behavior made the soldier and old-man in him cringe, Hal meant well and he was true to his word. Besides, he was around almost every holiday with the Allens. Like a nephew or something.

So to see the red-headed burr attached to his side at the wedding drew Jay's eye. Most of the time, at these kind of events, it was the skimpy barmaids attached to Hal's arms laughing and crooning at sweet nothings that were probably more innuendo than any sort of poetry Jay was familiar with. The little boy from the wedding was cute, and though he didn't talk much, he liked the kid. Within a few weeks, Iris and Barry were talking all about Wally, their nephew. The kid they doted on. And Jay felt a small pinch of envy. Joan was an only child, as was he. They had no nieces or nephews to spoil. But they had their pseudo-son and daughter, and it was okay.

But then the two had told him they were going to avoid having children. At least for a while. Which both he and Joan knew meant forever. That's how it started for them. The risks though, a kid with speed, it wasn't worth it. Still, Jay wasn't going to lie, his heart had broken for them. And a little bit, it broke for him. He'd never get the grandchild, the heir to his legacy. It was just Barry and him, alone to the world like he had once been with Joan. And someday he'd pass on, and it would just be Barry and Iris. And they'd be alone. And he didn't even wish that on Rag Doll or Fiddler.

Then he met Wally for real. No catch-the-kid-at-the-wedding for a quick hello. It was pure, this-kid-is-the-closest-to-a-grandchild he'd get, and that was good. A part of him, after hearing Wally's attempt, had cringed for all the wrong reasons. He'd wanted Wally to succeed so badly, for the Flash legacy, for Barry and Iris, and for him and Joan.

At dinner, he was sure he'd been imagining it all. Barry didn't even notice the kid moving a little faster, the subtle way his food was being inhaled, the fidgeting, like the kid couldn't be still, or that he was just moving too fast. If Jay hadn't spent the last twenty-five years trying to slow down for the sake of his health and wife, he'd never have noticed either. But he had.

Quickly it became an obsession. He would dream of running, Barry beside him, and a third little blur of red between them. It was never in costume, just in their civilian identities. No Flashes. Just Jay, Barry and Wally, a line of speedsters. And it mattered, so_ so_ much. Joan sympathized, but she warned him to be careful. Because she knew if it was a dream he'd be miserable. But it was _true._

So as Jay sat Wally down, he couldn't feel any happier. This was really a kid who would be family to them. To him. The grandson he'd dared to dream about but never hoped to have. And he knew Joan felt the same way. If the army of baked goods was anything to say by it. He hoped she didn't break the knitting out. It had taken him forever to get her to stop making table mats and cushions and blankets galore after Iris had first been mentioned by Barry.

"So what are we going first, er, Jay?" asked Wally, as he placed the bundle of homework between them.

Jay wasn't the smartest man on the block. He was an average science enthusiast who specialized in self-taught super speed with no degree, but a lab-coat he'd bought from the internet as a joke once he'd learnt how to use it properly. He'd been a footballer who'd enrolled in the army when the time came and then gotten into a freak accident that helped make him a super-soldier and fight Nazis. High-school had only become more and more progressive since his day, and he hadn't reviewed any of this stuff since it's invention, discovery or whatnot. So he did the smartest thing he could, and shoved it aside.

"Well, I assume you understand all of this, you just can't read or write it down," said Jay with a grin.

"Yeah," said Wally, grimacing. Jay knew the feeling. Learning to read all over again had been the hardest thing he'd had to do, but unlike Wally, he'd had very little to read beyond signs and letters from Joan until he'd really gotten acclimated with the speed. And he'd gotten the hang of it in a few weeks once the speed really settled. Barry had more control of his speed as soon as he got it, and he'd been able to pick reading back up in a few days.

"Well, I can't promise you'll ever get back to the reading proficiency you were at before everything happened kid," said Jay with a sigh, feeling guilty to have to drop bomb after bomb, "I have no idea how different your speed is from mine, or from Barry's. All I know is that you're just getting faster and faster and faster. I have no clue when you'll stop speeding up, or even if it _will_ happen. You may slow down next week, or tomorrow, or in an hour. Or you may reach my age and still be speeding up, still be getting faster until you've surpassed speeds we can even dream about."

"Whoa," said Wally, his eyes wide at the idea, "Like- Faster than_ light_?"

"Maybe," said Jay with a small smile, "But getting faster is the easy part. It's slowing down that's the hard part."

"What do you mean?" asked Wally, taken aback as he leaned back in his chair across from Jay.

"Well," said Jay, leaning back with a pleased smile, "When we speed up, it's like breathing. Especially in the beginning. It's that easy. But Jesus, slowing down, well it makes you feel like you're drowning. No, not drowning per say. But traumatizing nonetheless. But if you don't slow down, then you'll always be alone. With me, and with Barry, you can be faster than normal. Like right now, you've slowly started talking at a faster pace with me. Did you realize?"

"No," said Wally, amazed, "How- How fast are we talking?"

"I don't have a timer on me," said Jay with a chuckle, "But assume at least three times faster than the normal human being. That's good though, it shows you're picking up my speed and able to respond. So you're brain is at least working on quicker speed, or you're mentally channeling the speed. It's almost like you were born with it."

"So, we're going to speed through the homework?" asked Wally hopefully.

"Not at all," said Jay grimly, "Speeding through things, it's hard to really retain information. And if you really want to comprehend something, you have to slow down and really understand it. It's a strange idea, but speed-reading doesn't mean you comprehend anything."

"Okay," said Wally, a bit confused. But he didn't want to ask any questions and feel stupid.

"Speed-reading is like skimming," clarified Jay, "It's impossible to read at such a fast level when everything just blurs together, so what you do pick up is out of context or missing pieces. It's like when we run and the world blurs around us."

"Oh," said Wally, nodding, and tapping his thumbs against the table. His knee was swinging. He frowned, and stopped, remembering his dad's annoyance with it.

"It's fine to fidget," said Jay quickly, "In fact, it's better. Get's some energy out of the system and helps with slowing down. But be careful. If you're ever in a position where you need to reserve energy or have no access to food, always- _always_- stop fidgeting first. It'll save your life more times than you can count."

"Got it," said Wally, a shine of brilliant understanding in his eyes that made Jay proud.

"And now, we begin the real training," said Jay with a smirk, "We're going to slow down. Completely."

"Okay," said Wally, a bit confused. He could do that.

"Don't look at me like that," said Jay with a chuckle, "By completely I mean that smart little head of yours too. As you slow down, I want you to process your thoughts at the same speed I'm going to talk to you at. And trust me, you haven't quite reached this speed before. Last time with Barry was easier because Iris was around and you had someone to compare speeds with as well as someone to match speeds with. It still took you a good half-hour to get back to normal, remember? This time it's just you and me and you've gotten comfortable with the speed enough that slowing down won't be easy. Now, I'll slow down first, you try and slow down to my level, okay?"

However, Jay suddenly adopted a stern expression. Rather than starting the exercise, he continued with his lecture as he explained, "But before we begin, you need to get the importance of slowing down fully, and why speedsters need to know this trick like breathing. Besides needing it for a normal life, slowing down is important in the field too. When you're in a life or death situation," said Jay, choosing his words carefully, "Going fast, that's helpful, great advantage. Going slow, that can throw anyone off balance. Sometimes, and I stress this to you because it's important, you need to be able to slow down and just think, or read, or be present and real to make a difference. Like, take for example, after a fire. People are sometimes still reeling. They've lost there home, family, whatever mementos that made a difference. And they probably don't even remember the rescue effort because one second they were there and surrounded by fire, and then they were watching the building burn. Those times, it's our jobs to be present, to be real, to help them sort of realize that the traumatic experiences are real, but the rescue was real too. Because it sure as hell matters. PTSD isn't a joke, and with powers like ours, we can often cause people PTSD just by rescuing them and vanishing. It matters what we do, but it matters more that people can see us do it. The more superhuman and mysterious we are, the less real we become to them. It was an old Justice Society issue, we were constantly trying to make sure people didn't think we were the next Hitler, out to take over the world. And it helped when we put the powers aside and were just normal people playing dress-up. It makes trauma a helluva lot easier."

Wally nodded, face set in determination. He was committing each word to memory. This was what it meant to be partner to the Flash. These were lessons that would make him the best partner the Flash would ever have. These were lessons that would make him be enough for people. Jay grinned at Wally's serious face, and reached out and ruffled his hair, causing Wally to flush a light pink. The embarrassed expression was more natural on his face than that serious one. Besides, it meant that the kid was really paying attention to him. And it helped him convey that he knew the kid could handle it. He really did believe in this kid. Nobody deserved the gift of speed quite as much. For Wally, however, it was strangely soothing to know Jay placed so much faith in him, that he thought he could do it. It was the reason he let the blush climb onto his cheeks. It was weirdly embarrassing to have someone put their trust in him.

After the moment had gone on long enough, which wasn't all that long for a speedster mind you, Jay opened his mouth, and began talking. Wally gazed at him in horror as Jay continued to speak confidently and with a relaxed posture. He was so_ slow_. He couldn't even pluck out what Jay was saying, let alone attempt to match that speed! Jay noticed Wally's expression, and frowned, before starting again. This time he spoke a bit faster, and Wally could faintly understand, but it was like garbled sounds. A foreign language. Alien.

"Eeeez Eeeees Aaaaayy?" asked the man, and Wally nodded, only able to guess the meaning of those words and not even sure if he had totally grasped it.

"Goooogg slooor," said Jay, and they were back to square one. Wally couldn't even pluck out a basic understanding. He bit his lower lip. This was hard!

Jay paused, and very slowly drew a hand up. Wally wasn't sure if it was in his head, or if Jay was really slowing down for him even more. That hand movement took forever, and it felt like hours passed before Jay finally did something with the rising hand. He made the universal sign of one, and then pointed to his lips. Another hour passed in that time and Wally was horrified. One word. Okay, he just had to pluck out the word.

"Uahhh-aaaaaaaaaa-aaal-eeeee" said the man. And Wally was lost. His face must have shown the disappointment, because Jay reached out to his tapping figures, and rubbed slow circles on the back of his hand.

He did it again. He sounded like a whale on T.V. Wally wondered if he'd ever get to see a whale. Maybe they could run to the Arctic and see killer whales. Jay was looking at him in concern, and Wally gaped. Oops. He'd forgotten to concentrate. Flushed, he waved his hand to Jay, who started over with the word.

Wally really listened this time. He could just make out the sound of 'Oooh-ahh' at the beginning of the word. He raced through the words that began with O and A and blurted out in frustration, "Oa?"

Jay shook his head, bemused, and repeated the word. Wally listened closely, trying to slow his brain down. It was hard! So he repeated the word as it sounded to him. Jay shook his head to say no, and Wally frowned. That wouldn't help? The man was still rubbing slow circles on the back of his hand, as he repeated the word. Wally frowned, and let the words sink over him, as Jay just kept repeating it. He felt stuck, and it was starting to make him nervous.

"Why can't you just tell me?" Wally burst out, frustrated beyond belief. Jay surprised him by laughing rather than scowling.

"It's not that easy kid," said Jay, amused. "You tend to forget the lessons you learned from a book when you're fighting for survival, or from your General or Captain or the Lieutenant that had been in the war since it began and for whatever reason never got the promotion he kept talking about. After that situation, _if_ you get out in tact, you'll never forget the lessons, even when you're my age. More than that, things you discover on your own, things that you learn from your experiences in general, those are the lessons that stick with you in the toughest times. Half of what Barry does, what I did, it was all self-taught. We never got to have the controlled environment to make those discoveries and the mentor to guide us through it. I don't want to put you at a disadvantage of having us there and then being too reliant on what we taught you that when you don't have us around, you lose your head. Some stuff, like when you run, that's more direct teaching, but this stuff, the mental stuff, a lot of it is self discovery. Besides, what works for me may not work for you. For Barry, he can switch through speeds without a thought about it when conversing. Reading was a bit trickier, but he learnt it like a fish in water. Me, it took me forever to slow down. Probably standard time it was almost a full week before I was 'found' again. My team thought I had died, disappeared or deserted. I had to figure out what worked for me as much as you have to figure out what works for you. Now, want to try again?"

Wally nodded miserably, as Jay started again. But his thoughts had trailed down a scary road and his focus was no longer on Jay. All he could think about was failing. Of never figuring out his trick to slowing down. If he didn't master this, he'd never be able to be a Flash! He'd never be able to talk to anyone else again. Oh man! Aunt Iris! He'd never be able to thank her for the note! And he'd be all alone, in this sped up eternity for life. Wally was panicking, he didn't even realize he'd started hyperventilating as his mind went forward. The worst thoughts kept pouring into his mind. He'd go too fast, he'd never slow down and he'd grow old and_ die_ before the day even ended.

"Kid! Breathe!" yelled Jay, his tone firm and commanding, the voice of a soldier who'd calmed those in a battlefield, and it was oddly reassuring to equate that voice with war. Jay was solid, real, and a soldier. He'd survived a World War, he'd fought Nazis. He was here, beside Wally, and he was solid and Wally wasn't going all that fast.

Small circles were being rubbed on his back, as he lowered his head between his knees, taking deep breaths. Jay was still rubbing the circles into his hand, and Wally was calming down. He felt his heart rate coming down from the sped up pace he'd gotten to when he'd began hyperventilating.

"What happened Kid?" asked Jay, stern as he squatted down in front of Wally, taking his hand into his.

"I- I couldn't breathe," replied Wally uneasily, "Jay- I- What if I _can't_ slow down?"

Jay sighed, and ran a hand through his grey hair. He knew what the kid was thinking. All speedsters had that fear in the beginning, when the power was still settling in. He and Barry had commiserated over those worries and the occasional nightmare. However, Wally's case was a slight bit different. Wally was probably going to carry that fear for the next few years instead of months or weeks. When his speed boosted suddenly. When he grew. It was going to be a lingering thought. _What if I never come back? _He didn't envy the kid in the slightest.

"That's why you _have_ to learn it kid," explained Jay softly, "It's hard, I know. And it's scary, the idea of going too fast. Barry and I, we both fear the day when we push too hard and go too fast and our tricks for slowing down stop working. When it reaches a point that we're no longer able to come down. But if we don't learn to control it, then we're always going to be scared of it. And you want to be a speedster, don't you?"

"Of course!" said Wally, the thought causing his green eyes to harden with confidence, and Jay grinned.

"Alright, let's try again," said Jay with a smile, "Just focus on my voice."

"But how do I get my brain to slow down?" asked Wally, frowning.

"By slowing everything down," said Jay sternly, "Slow it all down to the pace of my voice."

Wally sighed, and nodded. It wasn't Jay's fault that Wally didn't get it. Wally was just stupid. His dad was right, he was never going to amount to anything now. The speed had zapped him into a freeloading brat with no potential. He shook his head like a dog, and let those thoughts fade as Jay spoke.

"Ffeeeeehhhh-oooooooohh-cuuuuuuhhhhhhhh-aaa-aaaa-a aaa-huuuuuuuhhhh-eeeeeeeessssss," said Jay, his voice slower and Wally frowned. But Jay was sitting beside him now, hand now making circles on the bad of his hand with one finger, before moving down and cradling his thin wrist where he rubbed circles. That was oddly soothing. It was better than the words. Wally found himself shutting his eyes, and concentrating on the circles running along his vein.

.Right._Rub_. Right. _Right. Rub._ Rub. Right. Rub.

"Fooo-k-aas," said Jay, and Wally's eyes widened. How had- He- had-

"Fo-cc-uhs," said Jay, still a fraction slower, but Wally blurted out, "Focus!"

"See, you got it kid?" said Jay, grinning.

"How?" asked Wally, amazed.

"You slowed down," said Jay with a grin.

"But-

Then it suddenly struck Wally. He hadn't been paying attention to the words. Jay had been helping Wally slow down all along. Wally hadn't even realized his heart rate had sped up to match the demand of the blood flow to his brain. It felt like a really stupid mistake. The trick to slowing down wasn't in his head, it was all in the heart. Literally. He just had to slow the speed of his heart down to slow everything else down. His senses weren't hyperactive anymore.

"I slowed my heart rate," said Wally finally, curious as he looked to Jay. The old man was grinning.

"Easiest trick in the book. I didn't think it would work for you, but looks like you're more like me than I thought," admitted Jay, "When you're a meta with traits like ours, our hearts are the control center to our speed. 'Course, there's other stuff too, but the heart is what adapts the best to the speed, to keep the blood flow going and in time with everything else. I'm sorry I didn't come out and tell you, but this is one of those things that's best discovered on your own."

To Jay's surprise, and maybe it was because Joan was right and he spent too much time watching T.V, but the kid didn't throw a tantrum or a hissy fit. He didn't even look disappointed that Jay had withheld the information. Instead, his eyes grew wide and he grin stretched so far across his face that Jay's cheeks started to hurt for the kid, and said in an enthusiastic tone, "What's next?"

* * *

**Review Replies: **

irenerb: Rudy's definitely scary, but well...if I say anymore you'll know too much :)

lesbianmagari: More Jay stuff this chapter :) And I'm sort of glad people get why I went that way (Though I can't promise you'll agree with their decision in later chapters)

Grayson 3: Thank you! I love writing Iris's thoughts because she's really in between a rock and a hard place, and this whole thing is going to play on Iris's emotions and stretch her thin. And thank you! I'm glad the emotion shines through, because well, this is a pretty heavy topic to write about without screwing it up, so I'm glad that I'm striking the right chords with the people reading. Chapters are every Wednesday and Saturday (as long as I don't screw up and get busy and not write). As for the Rudy comment, well, I'm glad someone picked up on that. It's really such an after-thought in that chapter, but that's because the turmoil really doesn't center around Rudy entirely anymore and I wanted to focus on Mary tensions, but yes, Rudy is a bit of a jack-off in that sense. But yeah, Barry's totally above all that. He's too, I can't say grounded because that contradicts with the idea of him being above it all, but his priorities are different. Mind, it's more like his priorities are organized differently than Iris, because well, Rudy's still her older brother at the end of the day. But yes, it's fun writing their different responses, and I like to drive the angst wedges in everywhere.

Puella Pulchra: Thank you for reviewing! I'm glad Mary took you by surprise then :) Just watch out for what's going to come from that brewing pot of problems.

Kazyre: Iris is so a punch kind of woman. I bet she and Lois carry around purses with metal plates at the bottom (though, maybe just Lois because of the whole military thing, and Iris seems more like a taser woman now that I think about it). And all I can say for Mary, it's a story I plan on fully exploiting.

Yuu101cutie: I love cute-oblivious Wally :) I mean, it's really hard to leave him like that as he grows older, but for now I can leave him precious and untainted. As for the parental drama, that's well, psychotic stuff. As for the Iris-baby stuff, yeah, it's my explanation for why the Allens waited so long to have kids despite being married for presumably seven years at least from what we get of the show. That and their careers, but both of them are so family-oriented that I doubt they were thinking about their careers when they decided to hold off. Especially Barry.

randomkitty101: Lots of canon elements, but not true to canon entirely. I don't plan to bring any of the Flash family from the future in, sorry :( That's fluffy stuff that well, won't make any introduction into the angst of this story. The future Allens will remain just that. A distant future.

Threaded Needles: Thank you! I'm glad that went over well, especially since the Wests were so neglected in the first part of this story.

The10Espada99: LOL, I'm glad the fight was interesting :) I find writing sarcastic blows and harsh comments easier than writing actual fist fights. But yeah, Roy comes in a lot earlier than any other character from the Young Justice Team.

lack-4-a-better-name: Heh, Roy :) I love him. He's not too far off actually, well, I mean, like three more chapters (I think. I have a tendency to add stuff and delete stuff and whatnot)


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: NEW chapter and I'm still not the owner. **

**Challenge that really doesn't involve any hard work beyond imagination:**

**If you enjoy this story, or my Bat-Clan Wally story, and there's something you really want to see happen, I don't care, like a fluffy Barry takes Wally to the movies for the first time or Iris and Barry's first date (I want to write these both but they'll probably work their way into the main story or I'll write them in my head and that's that. Just, be original and don't ask for it) then place a request! **

**Request by reviewing or PMing. If I have time (and judging from the way this week is shaping up, I probably will~!) than I will write them. **

**The best two ideas for sure will get written. Maybe top three. For each story. Or maybe just best two per story, or two for one and three for the other, no idea, I don't really think this stuff through. **

**Anyways, until Wednesday I'm accepting requests, so take your time. You can place as many requests as you want, but to ensure fairness, only one request per person will be written. Each story will be listed as an in-universe One-Shot that is pure fluff (or angst, I go both ways), and they'll be like little Omakes like in manga an they'll be posted into this story itself. As for rating, I'm open to writing any rating (But be warned, I have little experience with writing good smut and I'd rather not write too much smut or boring smut or smut that makes no sense to the plot). **

**Finally, these challenges, if people enjoy them and I don't lose my mind, will make themselves apparent around holidays (So a Christmas one in the future maybe?).**

**Okay, so long post, lot's to discuss. One, all the pairings I listed, those were potential ideas, and I'm glad to get opinions. The story was originally intended for Birdflash, but I've been exploring my options because I don't want to commit. Cold feet and all. **

**Second, I love the requests that have been pouring in! Some are really detailed and give me a lot to explore with, while others are less detailed and give me more to invent. All the ideas are great, and I hope you guys continue to pour them in! Wednesday is the deadline after all. **

**More than that, almost 100 reviews! I love you guys and thank you for being so supportive! **

* * *

**Part Two: Ticking**

**Plans**

Training with Jay was brilliant. After learning the trick to slow his heart rate, Wally had worked on slowing down without the aid of Jay's touch. It was a slight bit harder to slow his heart rate solely by the sound of Jay's voice, but by the end of the night, they were able to go to speeds four or five times faster than the average human in speed-talk, and Wally was able to come back down after Jay talked about various things for close to a half-hour. It wasn't nearly as quick as he'd need to be out in the field, but it was amazing progress, or so Joan claimed.

Joan arrived around noon, and immediately began unloading her morning endeavors onto the table. She'd made beef burgers from scratch, and then assembled them into hamburgers with finely sliced tomatoes, crisp lettuce, cheese and bacon. Within twenty minutes of Joan's arrival, Wally was stuffed to the brim with hamburgers and homemade coleslaw. He hadn't realized how hungry he was until Joan placed five large burgers in front of him and a bowl of coleslaw. And he was still hungry enough to eat two more of those god-send burgers.

After that, Jay had worked on speeding Wally's mind up, and then he'd switch his conversation between Joan and Wally, switching speeds simultaneously. Wally found it startling to concentrate as Jay moved between speed-talking with him, and talking normally with Joan. His natural urge was to reply to Jay at the same speed, but the point was to switch between Jay and Joan. He hadn't quite mastered that trick by the end of the day, but he was able to slow down half-way and confuse himself between both speeds. It felt more like an embarrassment than accomplishment, but Jay had said it was quite a good start. To top it off, Joan had baked him cookies as a reward for his hard work. They were shaped like the Flash lightning bolts and decorated too. Wally had been so mesmerized that he'd asked if Jay had loaned her some speed to make them in under an hour and still taste like little bolts of heaven.

All in all, the day was fabulous.

"So, how'd the homework go?" asked Iris once she entered the house and saw the Garricks and Wally, laughing softly. It made her heart swell at the sight. She moved to the table and placed a kiss to Wally's head before moving to help Joan in the kitchen with making dinner.

"We didn't even start!" said Wally, gaping at the sheets that had been shuffled from in front of the speedsters, to the edge of the table, and then to the couch during the process of the day.

"Don't worry about it kid," said Jay easily, "We'll get to that stuff tomorrow. But you can try the slowing down trick with some of the more boring stuff if you attempt any of it tonight. The less you like a subject, the less excited you'll get over it and the less likely you'll speed up. But try not to get frustrated either. Frustration can make you slip into speed, so you've got to be careful. Choose something in the middle."

"Math," said Iris and Wally grinned and nodded in response. He liked math well enough, but it wasn't something that made him excited or conversely, frustrated. It was just the base to understand the physics and chemistry. Like a tool he had to learn in order to build his Rome.

"Don't try to speed through it either," said Jay firmly, "Slow down and move at a regular pace, or even slower than you would naturally do it. Don't worry if you struggle with it though, we'll work through body functions tomorrow."

"Got it," said Wally with a nod, already planning which math sheets he'd try and get out of the way. After all, once the homework was done, it would just be a summer of speed ahead.

"Where's Barry?" asked Joan to Iris, and the group turned to her, "I was going to make the pasta recipe he sent me last week that his coworker made for him."

"He's at a League meeting," said Iris with a sigh, and a sideways glance to Wally that went over the boy's head but was immediately caught on by the Garricks, "But he sends his regards."

"Overworking himself," grumbled Joan with a nod, before moving to lay out the table.

* * *

Barry was normally a very patient, kind man. He enjoyed going to work and interacting with his colleagues. On a good day, it was just normal murder and psychopathy. On a bad day, it was some new crazy trying to send a message to the Flash, or the police, or just plain crazy. Sometimes the Rogues would intervene and try a heist. There was no love lost between the Flash and his Rogues. He found himself tossing them into Iron Heights and that was it. Quick and easy, but still enjoyable. It reminded him of why the Scarlet Speedster was needed.

But, on the really busy, yet still enjoyable days, he'd get involved in a League mission. Alien attack. Luthor's grand scheme to take down Superman. Back-up for some weird magical issue that only Zatara or Wonder Woman really understood but was a sign of the impending apocalypse if it wasn't stopped. Sometimes Atlantis needed help and he got to test his water-running skills. Cold would be disappointed to find that Barry found water-running more challenging than his ice, but that was just due to the lack of practice Barry got with running on Water.

But, he had his off-days. Everyone had them, and Barry was no exception. On those days, Barry would think. He'd think about his mother, and his father, and the mystery of their deaths. He'd think about his life. His villains. Iris. Anything really. Sometimes it was with excitement. He wanted to use his speed and race home to Iris. Sometimes it was with anger. Why did the Rogues have to be so destructive and ruin the livelihoods of people all for petty revenge or money? Sometimes with a dash of wistfulness. What would life have been like if he'd never been orphaned? Today, his thoughts were entirely at home, with Wally and Jay.

It was unfair, really, that Barry wasn't there with them. Of all the luck. He'd gotten his protege at the one time in his life he was too busy to breathe. Just a month ago and he'd have been able to be there with the other speedsters, watching Wally's growth with his very own eyes. Instead, the first anniversary of the Justice League's 'creation' was coming up, and the United Nations had made the stupid assumption that this should be _celebrated_. No amount of Superman's pleas or Batman's threats could dissuade them. That meant that the League's security detail had to be tripled. All major villains must be accounted for, as well as any cult supporters and anti-Superhero groups would need to be distracted.

Because there were going to be carnivals and festivals and all-you-can-eat buffets and autographs to be signed. They would have television specials playing over and over clips from the League battling various villains. And they were opening and closing with a bang. Each city would have it's own giant parade at the day of the Justice League's anniversary early in the morning. At night, the festivity of the anniversary date would end with the giant parade in Washington that would start and end at the goddamned Hall of Justice. The League was taking no chances with such a grand scale event.

An event like this meant that all the superheroes in the League would have to be present at Washington during the day of. It meant that every one of their villains knew where they were. It was too big a spectacle not to attract the crazies out. The ones who wanted revenge. The ones who were bitter. The hateful underbelly of the world that wanted to bare its teeth and let the chaos the superheroes prevented come to fruition. And that week of anniversary celebrations was going to be the end of the heroes if they weren't properly vigilant and watching their villains.

Not that the League believed in the slightest that all their preventative measured would halt all attacks aimed at them. In fact, they were convinced that there would be a grand attack that would ruin the entire day, or the day after that, or maybe- if they were lucky- the start of the day and put an end to the festivity for once and for all. Godfrey Gordon, a new reporter developing a small cult following of superhero-haters was already predicting calamity, and for once, the League was inclined to believe him.

As if securing all the major villains wasn't enough work to be done before the anniversary, security detail for the heroes hometowns had to be arranged. Any spare hero that had a friendship or acquaintance with the League was being called in to watch over their hometowns. Allies were being drafted into protecting the cities from any sort of impending doom. And Barry was a member of the original seven League members. He had to be present for all the security measures, he had to know them inside out, and he had to make sure that the Gem Cities were secured. Talk about a lot on his plate.

"What about Robin, Batman?" asked Wonder Woman loudly, her disapproval about the child hero situation having faded slowly since meeting the boy but nevertheless still evident at times when he was injured. After Two-Face had been a tense few weeks in the meeting rooms. "Where will he be during the parades?"

"In the Bat-Cave watching the situation in Gotham," said Batman brusquely, "Green Arrow is arranging for Speedy to be sent there as well."

Speedy. For all intents and purposes, Speedy was a good kid with a slight chip on his shoulder. Barry liked the kid well enough, even if he'd only been a hero now for two months. The thought of the two sidekicks made Barry once again think of Wally. He wondered if Wally was enjoying his training. If he was frustrated. If he was excited. He wondered about Wally's future costume. Would Wally want to design it on his own? Would he let Barry help?

More importantly, would Wally be safe during the anniversary celebrations? Barry hadn't been able to convince Iris to take the day off, and nor did he think he'd have any chance to convince her boss to let Iris take the day either. Jay had already agreed to look out for Central, with help from Ralph the Elongated Man. But Wally would want to be out there, and he wasn't trained enough yet. Heck, Barry didn't want Wally on the streets for another three months at the least! If he could, he'd keep Wally out of the thick of things until next year. Six months was a long time, but Wally deserved to be as well trained as possible before getting in a situation like that.

However, Barry sincerely doubted Wally was going to stay at home if there was trouble. The kid had a good heart, and he'd want to help, even if it was just a fire. And if Jay ran off and Wally had to watch from home the man in a fight, he'd pout. He'd want to help Jay. If something happened and it looked like Jay was in trouble, Joan wouldn't be able to contain the fireballs. Wests, for some annoying reason that Barry hadn't been able to fathom since meeting Iris, always gravitated out into the danger zones than away from them. _It was for the report Barry! I just wanted to be like you, Uncle Barry. Blowing myself up seemed like a good idea. _Okay, so the last one wasn't all bad and it made his chest swell with pride, but Barry swore up and down that he had grey hairs just thinking about Wally getting hurt.

And what if a villain tried to target Iris? There was no way Wally would take that sitting down. Or worse, what if some obscure villain tried to attack the house? Maybe in the neighborhood? How could Barry not expect Wally to jump into the fray to try and protect the neighbors. It was what _he'd_ do, and for whatever reason, Wally liked to imitate him.

"Barry!" called out through the meeting room, and the Flash glanced up, startled.

"I asked you a question," said Batman, looking pissed as his mouth curled into a scowl. Then again, he could be happy and his expression wouldn't change. But Barry was fairly sure that at this point, they were friends enough that Batman could change his expressions around the League.

"Er- What did you say?" asked Barry a little dazed. Beside him, Hal threw him an incredulous look. Barry always paid attention at a meeting. He even reprimanded Hal for not paying attention.

"I asked you what arrangements you wanted made for Iris," said Batman disapprovingly, "Superman has arranged for Lois to have a JL approved comm with a one-way transmitter as well as a tracker placed in both her earring and her brassiere."

Only Batman would refer to a woman's bra as brassiere and make Superman turn bright red.

"The same for Iris then," said Barry with a nod, "And the First Flash's wife needs a comm as well, and an earring tracker should be good enough since she'll stay inside for the day."

Batman eyed him and nodded, before moving to ask Aquaman what arrangements he'd like made for Mera. It was doubted that Mera would actually be in any danger she couldn't handle with her own powers and the guard she had, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

Hal silently used his ring to Flash a very quick message under the table to Barry. _What about the kid? _The letters disappeared as fast as they were written, and only Flash or Superman would be able to understand the speed. Barry grimaced, and glanced at Hal, and then in morse code tapped back that he didn't know what to do. The morse code was something Hal had known as a kid and even with Barry typing twice as fast as the normal human, Hal was able to keep up.

_You should tell them. _

No.

_Why not?_

I don't know.

_Feeling possessive? _

Shut up. He's untrained. I don't want to draft him into this so soon. Or debut him just yet. He's not ready for this.

_ So just ask for a comm for him and a tracker. _

Barry sent Hal a glare from behind the cowl as Hal grinned, before he cleared his throat. Hal was right, he was being stupid. This was Wally's safety on the line. Never mind his own desire to keep the kid as far away from the superhero community. Everyone turned to look at him, and he sighed as he glanced towards Batman.

"I need a second tracker and comm for my nephew, Wally," said Barry, and the surprise registered on most faces. They knew he had a nephew, but usually Barry let Iris's family be treated as normal civilians. Due to the expense to generate the trackers and comms, it was only for the high priority civilians in their lives that had any chances of being in the line of danger.

"Do you suspect he could be a target?" asked Bruce, his voice gruff and if Bruce ever showed emotion in the privacy of his cowl, there was probably an eyebrow raised behind those blanked out eyes.

"He might stay at my house, or with Joan," mumbled Barry, "Or he could be in Coast at Hal's place."

Superman, surprised stated, "I didn't know you'd introduced the Garricks to the West family."

"Not the Wests, just Wally," said Barry, slowly letting the group sink that in. He had to tell them eventually, might as well be today. Even if he hated doing so. Batman and Green Arrow got to go months before they said anything, but because his sidekick was a meta and he wasn't a billionaire, it was impossible to keep the secret hidden.

"Why?" asked Batman, eyes narrowing.

"He er- he found my journal a few weeks back, and tried to recreate my experiment to become the Flash," said Barry, pleased it came out only a slight bit faster than the average human.

"He did what?!" asked Diana, looking stunned.

"Was he successful?" asked Arthur curiously.

"Is he alright?" asked Clark, looking worried.

"Is he a liability?" asked Bruce, fiercely glowering, "How did he even _find_ this journal? You never told us that you had the formula saved!"

"Please, friends, be calm," said J'onn, wincing at the sudden mental barrage in the room, particularly the viciousness of Bruce's thoughts and the amusement in Hal's. Why did those two always have to experience such vivid yet different emotions? It never failed to give him a headache.

"He's fine," said Hal easily, "Smart as a whip that kid, recreating an experiment like that."

"He was successful," said Barry to Arthur, and the room went silent.

"Oh sweet Hera," said Diana, looking amazed, "How on- How?"

So Barry retold the tale. Hal added in his own experiences with Wally and the kid's genius. They explained the slight differences in their speed as well as Jay's theories on the situation. Bruce was getting steadily more annoyed, while Clark and Diana looked amazed. Arthur was stoic as was J'onn, but they too looked mildly impressed at parts of the story.

"So, what now? Does he, I mean, are you making him a sidekick? Like, a Flash Boy?" asked Clark curiously.

"I don't know," said Barry flatly, "He wants to go out on the streets as a hero, but, well, he's still young-

"Robin is younger," pointed out Arthur and Barry sighed at that. It was true after all.

"Pity Speedy's taken," mused Hal, "Ollie always had a stupid sense of nicknames. Roy should have been Kid Arrow or something, and Wally could be Speedy. Flash and Speedy."

"That sounds like I'm running around with Roy," said Barry, a slight grimace thinking of how Ollie would react to that.

"Do you want him to work with you?" asked J'onn politely.

"I- I don't know," said Barry with a sigh, "He's a kid! I don't know if he's ready for that kind of lifestyle."

"He's a liability," said Bruce coldly, "And one that_ should _have been reported to us as soon as you knew that he was aware of your identity."

Barry felt his face grow hot, but not with embarrassment, but rather anger. He clenched his fist, and he stared at Batman. He knew that Bruce was only saying this as their leader and out of worry for the situation, but it didn't change Barry's feelings to the situation. He found himself getting annoyed. This was his family situation, his nephew. He was always quick to anger when his family was involved. Moreover, neither Batman nor Bruce had any place in the situation.

"He's my nephew Bruce," said Barry quietly, "And my responsibility. Besides, Wally fully understands how this works and the importance of my identity."

"We should have been told," said Bruce, glare firm and palms banged on the table in anger, "A new speedster running around is a cause of concern for League. Any new meta should be recorded in our databases."

"He's not a threat!" said Hal hotly, "He's a twelve year old kid!"

"So are the Terror Twins," tossed Batman, "As well as Icicle junior. And they've had plenty of skirmishes with the law that make them dangers to themselves as well as society."

"Batman," said Superman carefully, "He is the Flash's nephew. I doubt he's going to cause that sort of trouble. Besides, Flash had every right to want to keep this a secret for now. You kept Robin a secret for almost eight months before telling us. More concerning is the Flash formula. What did you do with the notes Flash?"

Diana gave an approving nod to this, before training her glare back towards Barry. Arthur was merely giving them an inquisitive look, while J'onn rubbed his temple. Headache. Barry felt guilty seeing his friend's reaction. J'onn was always sensitive to their emotions, and in this tiny room of the Watchtower, he was most likely stressed.

"I split the pages of the notes up," said Barry with a shrug, "One page is on the tower here, in my room's safe."

"And the others?" asked Batman irritably.

"I have one," said Hal with a smirk, "I placed it in the pocket dimension with my Power Battery."

"And the others?" asked Clark with a concerned face, "Are there others?"

"There's three more pages," said Barry hesitantly, "I gave one to Jay and the other I gave to Wally to keep. The last one I wanted to give to Iris but she just tucked it away in my ring-drawer at home until I could find a place for it."

"You trusted a top secret confidential formula with a child?" asked Diana, her expression incredulous.

"Where is he even keeping it?" asked Clark, amazed.

"It's a part of the Flash legacy," said Barry irritably, before feeling a little guilty. Of course his friends didn't understand. The uniqueness of his powers made it difficult for his friends to grasp the importance of those pages. "Besides, Wally's page is just the math. Hal's got the full list of ingredients and I have the section with the key steps. Even if anyone saw Wally's page it would seem like random mathematical equations. Nobody would be able to guess what the math means unless they were a speedster themselves. And I don't know where he kept it, just that he has it."

If possible, Batman looked more ticked. He seemed to be attempting to kill Barry through looks alone. The room was filled with an uneasy tension, but Barry wasn't going to change his mind. Those pages had changed the kid's life, and he deserved to have one as a memento. Though he hoped Bruce didn't try and steal it away in some misguided attempt at protecting identities. He stared Batman down, a silent confrontation taking place over Wally's situation. Bruce was daring him to back away from the responsibility, Batman reprimanding him for keeping the secret so long. But Barry faced it head on, not letting himself be bullied out of this.

"The one in your ring-drawer," said Batman finally, "Give it to me. I'll put it in the Bat-Cave safe."

"Alright," said Barry with a tight nod. It was the closest they'd get to a truce, and he had no doubt that Wally was going to be searched, as well as the entire West family, but Barry couldn't change Bruce's ways. Besides, the Wests were an ordinary family. They had nothing to worry about.

* * *

"That was an awkward meeting," said Hal, far too cheerily as he followed Barry through the alley-way with the zeta-tube and towards Barry's apartment.

"Diana and Bruce think I've lost my mind," said Barry with a dark glare, "Arthur offered to keep Wally's section in the Atlantean safes and then just stared at me after I told him it was okay with Wally."

The two climbed into the elevator, and Hal pressed the button for the fourth floor. Barry leaned against the railing of the elevator and sighed, running a hand through his short blonde hair. He hadn't realized how tiring this would all be. And it was only just beginning.

"I can't believe you're going to give Bruce a page," said Hal with a snort, "He's probably going to try and break down the formula and solve it himself."

"He'd die becoming a speedster," said Barry with a shrug, "Besides, Clark and Diana wouldn't let him go around with powers. He'd probably kill himself with overexertion. And Alfred wouldn't want to deal with him as a meta. The thought of losing Alfred would probably keep Bruce from trying anything."

"Which page are you going to give him?" asked Hal curiously.

"The page with the notes on the importance of the lightning," said Barry with a small grin, "He already knows about the lightning and it won't tempt him to try anything stupid."

"Pity," said Hal with a sigh, "Not even a few days of a coma?"

"Hal," said Barry with a glare, as Hal just chuckled and gave an innocent look, "C'mon! You have to admit that headquarters is nicer without him around."

The two climbed out of the elevator and Barry gave Hal a reprimanding look for his words. In this line of duty, you just didn't go around saying those sort of things. They'd all had too many close scrapes when it came to their lives. The two heroes made their way down the well-lit hall to Barry's condo apartment. Barry was drawing his keys out as they spoke.

"He's our teammate," said Barry with a firm shake of his head, "And a friend."

"More like the overbearing, paranoid boss that needs to get laid more often, and considering his reputation, that's saying something!" said Hal, as Barry shot him a dirty look and opened his apartment door.

"Honey! I'm home!" called Hal, and Barry was tackled by a red-head, arms tightening around his waist.

"Wally!" said Barry, grinning as he wrapped his arms around the kid, before being forced to let go as he treated Hal to an equally tight hug.

"I swear he's gotten faster!" said Hal easily, ruffling Wally's hair, "I almost didn't see him!"

"Yeah right," said Wally with a pout, though he was grinning at the both of them in his blue checkered pyjamas and Green Lantern t-shirt, "I didn't even run!"

"Is Jay still here?" asked Barry casually.

"He just left," said Iris as she came into view and gave Barry a soft kiss, "He was going to stay, but it was nearing eleven and Joan was driving."

"Shame," said Hal with a sigh, "I swear that woman was born to be a chef."

"We had a pasta-ravioli thingy for dinner! She left a whole pan for Barry," said Wally with a grin, "And some extra for lunch tomorrow."

"Perfect!" said Hal, as he lead Wally to the kitchen, "Warm some up for me?"

"With chocolate milk?" offered Wally.

"Or beer," tossed back Hal, "For me, not you."

As the two disappeared around the corner, Iris raised an eyebrow to Barry. The only reason Hal ever gave them time alone was because Barry had something important to say. Otherwise Hal had to stick around and be an ever present chatterbox in their life. Besides, Barry would want to hear all about Wally's day, and the fact that he was still standing here instead of chasing after his nephew was enough to let Iris know something was up.

"I told the League about him," said Barry reluctantly, as he placed his keys in the bowl by the front door, and awaited Iris's reaction.

"How- How did they take it?" asked Iris nervously, "I mean- Were they okay with it?"

"They weren't thrilled," said Barry with a grimace, "Mostly because I hadn't told them about Wally, and because of the formula lying around, but I smoothed it over. For now, they're dealing with it. By the way, Batman's making you a new bra."

Iris's eyes widened, before she started to giggle at that, and mischievously said, "At least we know it'll be good quality. I didn't realize that Batman knew _everything _about me."

Barry turned bright red, but Iris was still laughing as she lead him away, her laughter echoing in the halls, and Barry grinning ruefully at her. As they entered the kitchen, Wally and Hal stared at the two, but shook their heads and returned to the topic of their conversation- When Wally could have a beer.

* * *

Review Replies:

runwithanime: Got to say, I love your story idea! I'm not sure how to work with it in the time line of this story, since Hal didn't meet Wally until the kid was nine, but Wally could totally cross-dress if he was eleven, maybe. As for the pairing, the story was intended to be birdflash from the beginning, but I've been hesitating because other, less written pairings seem fun to explore. It wasn't so much femininity in Wally that I care about, more that I get annoyed when Wally's the one with the experience and Dick's all girly and innocent. What part of Wally-is-a-dork is hard to get? And Dick's dad is a playboy. I doubt Dick's never been exposed to 'Brucie'. Besides, comic-Wally only really started getting around after he won the lottery and passed through puberty. I mean, I could write it different, but the other pairings have an appeal to them too since Roy or Kaldur seem like they'd hug Wally and kiss the boo-boos goodbye that Rudy's caused. Anyways, I'm still hovering with the pairing, but I'll probably go with BirdFlash since that's what the story started with. Or not. We'll see.

irenerb: Thank you!

MythologyGirl: Thank you! That stat's so true! And out of that, 70% of it is Dick-is-too-naive-innocent-girly that I can't swallow it down. I hate femDick. He's not a goddamn woman just because he hasn't had sex at the age of fourteen. He's Dick Grayson, an acrobat! Man up a little and let him be Dick. Not that I want the fandom to turn around and make Wally into a chick, that would be totally against the point. I just want my Wally as a dorky, gangly speedster who gets tongue-tied. Which is why originally this was going to be birdflash, but out-of-the-ordinary pairings are so much fun to write!

little miss BANANNA HEAD: Oh, good question! I can't say that because it's a huge plot thing, but I won't deny that Wally's parents are going to be a huge factor in part 3 of this series that takes a time-skip.

Guest: I love BirdFlash myself :) This story was originally going to be BirdFlash, but I want to experiment a little. Who knows though?

lesbianmagari: Thank you! Not sure where the pairing will go, but well, we'll see, right? :D

Red Lightning Bolt: Most definitely slash, because while I like the idea of Spitfire, it's sort of meh. Never cared for Jinx much, and I don't think I could do Linda much justice (Plus I adore slash)

Yuu101cutie: Thank you! I love Jay-Wally interaction! It's so fun to write! And yeah, slowing down is going to be a major source of trouble for Wally, but I'll reveal that in time. And yeah, the word was focus! It was fun to write, especially since Jay would be like a wise-sensei-Yoda type going focus, young grasshopper. That's an interesting request! I'll have to write all these requests somewhere so I don't forget them (Opens document and starts copy-pasting them in). Batman reaction introduced in this chapter (Though he's not met Wally yet) and isn't he grouchy. Got to love the paranoid bat. And Roy. Roy's going to be fun to write as well! Thank you! And I try to avoid the 's' word, but mostly it depends on the situation. I prefer apprentice. It suits their situation more, since they are learning as they go. And that sucks! I hope you get some sleep! After getting like, 12 hours of sleep all week, and then crashing on Thursday, I nearly wept because sleep felt so good.

hoot17: It's coming for sure :) The next chapter is Wally's first run!

Threaded Needles: Thank you! As for slash, it's mostly because of a mixture of all three. Canon wise, I love Linda, adore the lady. She's kick-ass and awesome, and she has the right amount of sass to be a Flash-Lady, but at the same time, I know very little about Linda, and I don't think I could write her properly. As for Spitfire, I think the relationship had great momentum and the ideas were great, but it fell flat IMO. They had a lot of room, but they went from a hell of UST in season 1 to post-marital bliss in season 2 and then split the two up only for Wally to die. The few romancy bits we see in between are like teasers of what their relationship was really like, and personally, it wasn't enough to totally endear me to the cause. And then, I love Wally-slash-fics (Not generic slash, just Wally in slash) so I prefer writing it. Not to mention there's more wiggle room in Slash to explore things like what would Wally be like if he was dating someone like Kaldur (all stoic, calm and bad-ass leader) or Roy (aggressive, angsty) or Robin (Best friend) or well, the list is endless. And I did consider M'gann (for a day) and that went out of the window as soon as it came. And it's no problem for asking, I know slash can make people squicky. I used to be like that until I actually started to explore and then I exploded into a slash-fan. The relationship angle in this story isn't even a big deal, because any romance won't happen until Part 3, and even then, it's more of an undertone to the overall story.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: NEW chapter and I'm still not the owner. **

**Challenge that really doesn't involve any hard work beyond imagination:**

**If you enjoy this story, or my Bat-Clan Wally story, and there's something you really want to see happen, I don't care, like a fluffy Barry takes Wally to the movies for the first time or Iris and Barry's first date (I want to write these both but they'll probably work their way into the main story or I'll write them in my head and that's that. Just, be original and don't ask for it) then place a request! **

**Request by reviewing or PMing. If I have time (and judging from the way this week is shaping up, I probably will~!) than I will write them. **

**The best two ideas for sure will get written. Maybe top three. For each story. Or maybe just best two per story, or two for one and three for the other, no idea, I don't really think this stuff through. **

**Anyways, until Wednesday I'm accepting requests, so take your time. You can place as many requests as you want, but to ensure fairness, only one request per person will be written. Each story will be listed as an in-universe One-Shot that is pure fluff (or angst, I go both ways), and they'll be like little Omakes like in manga an they'll be posted into this story itself. As for rating, I'm open to writing any rating (But be warned, I have little experience with writing good smut and I'd rather not write too much smut or boring smut or smut that makes no sense to the plot). **

**Finally, these challenges, if people enjoy them and I don't lose my mind, will make themselves apparent around holidays (So a Christmas one in the future maybe?).**

**Also- Thank you for the hundred reviews! 107! I'm thrilled that you guys are enjoying this story so much! **

* * *

**Part Two: Ticking**

**Ready**

It was odd, Barry mused, how quickly Bruce adjusted to unexpected wrenches in his life. Somehow, Barry's work schedule had suddenly cleared up on Saturday, despite the heavy preparations in the CCPD for the upcoming festivities for the Justice League anniversary, as well as the coming up Board review of their departments to determine if they were meeting their goals. Barry, however, could care less. As if that wasn't great enough, he'd gotten an unexplained e-mail from an unknown source. It simply had an address for an abandoned airport up in Washington state. It was secluded from the main road and once had been a private Wayne property that had been recently demolished, according to Iris's investigations. The runways were still in tact, however, and would provide a great place to start Wally's training for his runs.

There was no explanation from the man, and Barry hadn't bothered to ask for one either. He'd simply pretended the occasion hadn't occurred, and Bruce had never brought it up when they'd run into each other at the headquarters while screening the guards who would be a part of the Hall of Justice if Barry had wanted to thank Bruce, there wasn't enough time. There were over fifty being stationed just inside the building itself. Two hundred men would be stationed outside. And they still had to go through the background checks and screening for the men who'd be lining the roofs of Washington D.C to keep an eye on the roads where the parade would run.

And that_ still_ wasn't all the security they'd need to organize.

But Barry shoved those thoughts out of his head this morning. He had no reason to concern himself about what would happen on the security lines today. Because it was _finally_ Saturday, and Barry could _finally_ take Wally out for his first run. Barry was going to use the twenty-four hour access code for the zeta and take Wally, Iris and Joan up the airstrip in Washington. Jay had his own code that would let him through without Barry's help. Hal had promised to arrive midday after finishing his shift at the Ferris air-grounds. They were making a day-trip of it.

Wally had shown a vast improvement in the week of working with Jay, or so Barry was told. He could now switch between speech at various speeds up to seven times faster than the average human within twenty minutes. His reading was still causing an issue, and he'd only cut through about half of the homework pile, which was really only his math, science and geography. English, Spanish and history was still too much to read for the kid, and they'd never been his strong suits to begin with. Luckily, once he got into high-school next year, he could drop history. Barry still wanted the kid to keep up with geography; it was useful for a speedster, as well as Spanish. Languages were never unnecessary in their line of work.

Despite the improvements, however, Barry and Jay had agreed that Wally was still going to have trouble keeping up with school. He needed special tutoring, and at the rate a normal class went, Wally wouldn't be able to keep up with the incoming load of homework. Neither Rudy nor Mary were equipped to teach the kid the high-school level curriculum, and even if Barry and Iris offered to help, neither could profess expertise in some of what Wally would learn. Nor did they have the time to keep up with Wally's school work between their busy careers. Without special aid from the school, Wally was undoubtedly going to fall behind, despite their best efforts. Barry wasn't sure how to address the situation yet, but he wasn't thinking about it. He barely had the time. Jay had offered to figure it out, but Barry still felt tremendously guilty. He hadn't even talked to Jay about Wally's improvement. Not properly at least. Iris usually relayed messages as Barry got in around midnight each night, or he'd get a lucky five or ten minutes on the phone with Jay. He was extremely lucky if he managed to catch Wally on a good day before the kid passed out from exhaustion.

Which was why this run was so much more important. It was the first thing Barry would get to really teach his kid, the first thing he'd get to help Wally with. And nothing was going to take him away from this moment!

"Iris," whispered Barry quietly, "It's time to get up!"

His wife, the gorgeous red-headed goddess, merely stirred and gave a low, annoyed huff. She turned to face him, one green eye deliberately opened and looking irritated. God she was hot when she was irritated. But she had no right to be annoyed. He'd waited nearly a half hour for her to get up! He'd gotten out of bed and made sure to get everything ready, pretending it was a perfectly reasonable time to get up despite the lack of sun outside the window, but she didn't need to know that. He'd drawn the curtains tight, set the clock forward.

"It's five a.m," said Iris firmly, "Go to sleep and don't wake me up for another three hours."

Damn. He'd forgotten to move her phone from beside her bed.

* * *

Wally, for his part, had no clue about what his uncle was planning. Thus, to Iris's relief, when she woke up at seven thirty because her grown-up, super-hero husband was behaving like a child going to the amusement park for the first time, she'd managed to take a relaxing half hour shower and get dressed without having Wally and Barry on her case about how slow she was. To further irritate her husband, Iris had purposely taken ten minutes to choose a pretty green sundress for the occasion and let her red hair fall in soft waves around her face. On any other occasion, Barry might have stopped to admire the way her legs looked in the dress, but today wasn't any other occasion.

Besides, she had already worn him out. Barry was being as patient as possible, and maybe Iris was being mean, but she was having a little fun teasing him. Barry was always so unruffled and calm like a block of stone. It was hard to get him to crack. Maybe that's why Hal interrupted so many of their dates when they were starting out. And it definitely explained why he and Ollie, drunk out of their minds, showed up at their honey-moon location in costume just to see a flustered Barry.

"Can we wake him up now?" asked Barry, almost pouting as he turned to Iris, "Jay and Joan are going to be here in another half hour. Wally should be ready by then!"

"God you're adorable," said Iris, wrapping her arms around Barry's neck and pulling him in for a kiss.

Distance was definitely a factor in keeping the spark in their relationship, mused Iris. Almost a week of being unable to do more than just fall asleep together had them both clinging to each other in the morning kitchen playing tonsil hockey like teenagers. Her hands raced through and gripped Barry's collar, unable to hide the arousal she felt. It was just so amazing to see Barry this excited about being a mentor._ A dad._ Their was a thrill between them as they parted, lips swollen and grins on their faces. It was more than just excitement about being with each other after a week of nothing.

It was the very atmosphere of the room. Of the day. That electric charge of going on an outing as a family to teach their kid. This was something neither of them had ever thought they could have. More than that, there was something intangible, inexplicable, some kind of giddy joy about taking Wally for his first run that made the two unable to stop grinning. Their faces were plastered with ridiculous smiles that had they been in Gotham, would have the next person to see them calling the GCPD because Joker toxin was in the air.

There were no words.

"Now?" asked Barry, just a tad breathless, his eyes gleaming with a spark that wasn't entirely about Iris at all. And she didn't mind in the slightest as she pressed a last kiss to his lips.

"Let me get the camera," breathed Iris, as she took a large gulp of air and pulled the thin and compact silver camera out and slid the switch to 'on'.

The two were practically shoving each other in the doorway as they entered Wally's room, or the unofficial guest room. The walls had a few pictures, a lone poster for an old Flash poster featuring Jay Garrick from Barry's youth, and deep grey and blue linens. Curled inside the large double bed was their thin little nephew. He was rolled up so tightly in the quilt that it would have been impossible to find him if it weren't for the orange head of hair popping out from above the sheets.

Iris clicked a picture of the scene, her heart swelling as Barry moved forward and took a seat. The two were beaming at each other. Barry shyly, almost like he was unwrapping a present, lifted off the quilt from Wally's body, using only his thumb and middle finger to clutch the blanket.

Below the quilt, Wally was curled into himself. The Flash action figure from his youth was lazily tucked under his arm, pressing it close to his body. The rest of him was curled like a beetle inwards. His freckled face was serene as his chest rose and fell in even, slightly faster-than-normal breaths. Just like Barry when he was sleeping well. Iris raised the camera and took another picture, unable to help herself at the sight.

"Wally," whispered Barry, gently placing a hand on the boy's thin shoulders, "Time to get up!"

"Mm.. five minutes," muttered Wally, turning to move towards Barry, hand gripping out from the Flash figure to wade towards the closest heat source. Barry made things easier as he moved into the bed beside his nephew, who gave a floppy little yawn and wiggled in beside Barry, scrunching his nose as he curled up around Barry's leg. The Flash figure came too, digging into Barry's thigh. Another picture.

"I thought you wanted to go running," teased Barry, and their prone little nephew's green eyes suddenly snapped open.

He was sitting up before Iris could get the picture. It was a good thing she'd switched to video mode already. The twelve-year old was thrumming with excitement as he stared in awe at Barry, eyes hopeful and wide, the size of Captain Cold's fists. His little pink lips were quivering like a plucked string.

"We're running?" he squeaked, the awe practically dripping from his mouth as Barry finally cracked under that expression. Iris was barely holding onto her laughter as Barry nodded, his happiness contagious in the room.

"I- I'llbereadyin_fiveminutes_!" screamed Wally, and Iris let the camera follow the boy as he kicked the heavy quilt off, fumbled over Barry's legs, tripped and fell on his bum off the side of the bed. Before Barry could grab him, Wally was scrambling over to the closet and searching for clothes.

"Shower! And brush your teeth!" said Iris sternly, and Wally nodded before disappearing to the bathroom.

Iris traded a look with Barry, and they both gave into the laughter that was in their stomachs, as Iris clicked the camera off and fell back on the bed beside her husband. He wrapped his arm around her waist, and pressed his lips sloppily to her shoulder.

"I love you," said Barry, almost reverently, and Iris understood.

"I love you more," said Iris, the silent thank-you for bringing Wally so intimately into their lives conveyed as much as she could.

"I love you most," said Barry, a cheesy smile on his lips as he kissed Iris again, and who was she to resist? Besides, if Barry thought she deserved any credit for this moment, he was clearly insane. And you shouldn't disrupt a man's delusions.

"He's getting faster," said Iris, after a few minutes of comfort. The shower beside them had already clicked off. Three minutes to shower. Their boy was really getting quick.

"I'm missing so much," came Barry's soft, anguished voice.

"So am I," said Iris, pressing her hand to her husband's cheek, "But today we're making up for that. We're here today. And we'll be there for all the other todays too."

"I wonder how fast he's going to get," mused Barry softly, "I want to be there each step."

Iris let Barry go off into his dream world. She knew what he was thinking. The future, with Wally at his side. The speed was a place Iris could never follow her husband to. And now she was surrendering her nephew to it as well. And it was okay, because they'd be together, watching each others backs. Barry burrowed his head into her neck again, his breath a quicker than the normal man. He was relaxed. Iris shut her eyes and let herself be held.

"Can we go now?"

The two opened their eyes to see a fully dressed Wally West standing at the foot of the bed. His red hair was mussed and still wet, the damp tendrils clinging to his cheeks and forehead. A slight trickle of water dripped down his cheeks, and it was most definitely not sweat. He was wearing a Flash t-shirt and running shorts and his sneakers were already on. Iris swallowed at the sight. When had Wally grown up so much? He'd never been that tall. He needed a hair cut for sure. He was still too skinny, but his face was starting to lose that baby-roundness and shape itself a bit more into a more mature look. He was growing up so _so_ fast.

"C'mere," said Iris, holding her arms out to the boy.

Wally crossed his arms, and glanced to the door. He wanted out. To run. Well too bad. Iris wanted to hold her boys for another moment. Have them with her before she let them run free and far. Barry lazily offered an arm, and Wally's shoulders slumped before he climbed onto the bed, sneakers and all, into their arms and let himself be wrapped up by Iris between his aunt and uncle. Barry pressed a kiss to Wally's head, as he squirmed, getting water on the sheets and the two adults. Neither really minded.

"You're going to run today," said Iris softly, wrapping her little boy in her arms, inexplicably sad and proud at the same time. She wanted to hold him for another hour. Keep him safe. And at the same time she wanted to be there. Watching the two blurs of husband and child running side by side. Wanting to be a part of the magical connection that only the speed could give them.

"We have to get out of bed for that," whined the boy, but he still curled into his aunt. Maybe he understood from the mood that she needed to hold him before he was gone. Just a gust of wind that she'd never get to see with her own eyes. His hand curled into the forest green dress, and his head rested on her collar bone.

"Five more minutes," said Barry, glancing at Iris with soft, understanding eyes above Wally's head, "And then we'll grab some breakfast. As soon as the Garricks call, we'll head out."

"'Kay," said Wally, letting Iris hold him without complaint.

* * *

"Ready to go kid?" asked Jay, already decked out in costume to Joan's annoyance as they met the Garricks at the alley-way zeta-tube that Barry had used with Hal just the other day.

"Sure am!" cheered Wally, bagel crumbs still on his lips as he accepted the fifth bagel from Iris, who was carrying a backpack of snacks with her, and sweaters galore in case it was slightly chilly up in Washington.

"I brought you the burgers you liked," said Joan, somehow managing to wiggle between Barry and Wally with the silent ease of a panther and arms a napkin already in hand wiping off Wally's cheeks.

"You didn't have to!" said Wally, eyes wide and surprised, "Thank you!"

"Nonsense, you're too skinny," said Joan with a sniff, "Hospital food is a sorry excuse for a meal. Look at the damage it's left on you for the last three months! When Jay and I ended up in the hospital after his confrontation with the Fiddler the summer of 1966 they were feeding him nearly a fraction of what he normally ate! Took me months to get him back to normal weight."

"How?" asked Wally, genuinely shocked, "You're food is amazing Grandma Joan! How did Jay resist?"

Iris traded an amused look with Barry and Jay. When had Joan trained Wally to call her Grandma?

"Because I was barely able to eat solid foods for a ten days, and Joan got out of a coma of two weeks and wasn't able to cook for a month," said Jay dryly.

"You were in a coma?!" gaped Wally, "What was that like?"

"Boring," said Joan with a shrug, "I kept wondering whether or not Jay had done the dishes. He hadn't. There was a colony of mold growing in our sink when we got home."

"That's awesome!" said Wally, eyes bright, before turning to Iris and-

"No," said Iris, lips thin, "We will not grow a colony of mold in the sink."

"Maybe in a petri dish," offered Barry, "On some potato skins."

Iris glared at her husband, but Joan was already discussing which potatoes would yield mold the quickest with Wally, and the idea was settled. Oh well. As long as it wasn't in the kitchen.

"Well, on that note, let's head out!" said Jay cheerfully, nodding to the zeta.

* * *

When they arrived at the airstrip, Wally was immediately spouting off facts about teleportation and the latest research being done on teleporters as well as the physics being it. All Barry heard was something about Heisenberg Correcters. He was in his own mind, clearing his emotions, preparing for the day. He seemed eager to just get started, but Jay was too relaxed as he walked behind and inspected their surroundings.

The place was tucked behind large, grey fenced walls. The sky was slightly cloudy, but the sun was peeking through the clouds which were scattered across the sky like powdered sugar. The trees dotted above the sky, like ruffled feathers. The airstrip itself was in very good condition for being abandoned. The asphalt runway was pristine, like a stainless steel counter that gleamed in the sky. Their was a small radio-shack that probably held the radio system used to communicate with the plains, as well as a large garage built for a small jet.

Barry lead the group towards the radio shack, and grabbed two large chairs from inside. By the time the leathery armchairs were set up outside the radio shack under the awning, Joan had started directing Wally and Jay to make the place and Jay were unloading a small folding table that went between the chairs, with Joan's sewing kit already out. Iris was clicking pictures, looking at ease and flashing Barry a wide, pretty smile before returning to observe the others. Barry grinned at the group, as Wally began to twitch and fidget, obviously wanting to just run.

"Comfortable?" asked Jay to his wife, giving her a gentle smile.

"More than," said Joan with a nod, as she sat down and removed a recording camera.

"Alright, time to suit up you two," said Jay, turning with the attitude of a military general and faced his troops.

"I don't have a suit," said Wally, a small frown on his face.

"You didn't think we'd leave you hanging, did you kid?" asked Barry, grinning as he tossed Wally a small object from his pocket.

"You designed me a suit!?" gaped Wally, plucking the object from the air and then fumbling to keep it in his hand.

"No," said Barry sheepishly, "I shrunk one of my suits down with some help from Hal. It should fit you for now. We'll work on getting you a suit later on. For now though, this is your practice costume."

Wally gaped at Barry in awe, and he grinned shyly, before looking at the ring in his hand. He ran his thumb along the bolt design, admiring the flawless gold finish. Barry's ring was less obviously a Flash ring. The bolt was slightly thinner, and the round was larger. Barry's wedding ring had a similar design so that the ring was interchangeable to his coworkers when the situation called for it.

"This- It's mine?" asked Wally, amazed.

"If you want it," said Barry, a little nervous, "I mean- We can work on your real costume later on, but this should work for now."

"Yeah," said Wally, his eyes gleaming as he continued to fiddle with the ring. "How, I mean- err- How does it work?"

"Like this," said Barry, pushing down on the top of the ring, and feeling the familiar swoosh as the costume spun out. He moved as quickly as the costume wrapped around him, his arms following the familiar pattern into the sleeves, letting the gloves go over his fingers, his legs already slipping into the costume, and the cowl slipping over his head, his hands coming along to aid and adjust it was it moved. His hands moved to snap the zippers and clasps in place.

When he turned, he saw his awe-struck nephew staring at him with jaw dropped, floppy bangs in his eyes and clear cut fear at attempting that trick. Okay. Start slow Allen.

"Or you can just twist the cap and let the costume slip out. The radio shack is a great place to change," offered Joan pleasantly, before Barry could.

"Or that," said Barry, a little awkwardly as he blushed.

"Yeah," said Wally, nodding in relief, "But- Can you teach me that?"

"Sure thing kiddo," said Barry, grinning.

Wally headed off to change. Barry thrummed in silence, struggling as each minute passed. There was a pleasant, apprehensive silence as they waited.

"Uncle B! I need some help!" called a voice from the radio shack, and Barry grinned as he sped inside it.

Inside, Wally's cheeks were flushed with frustration, his eyes big and stubborn as he held out the costume. He'd managed to pull the spandex on, but the clasps and zippers were undone and looked like they'd been mauled. Wally was looking helpless as he held the red cowl, glaring at it like it was his worst enemy.

"C'mere Kid," said Barry, as Wally trudged over in annoyance.

"It's so complicated!" whined Wally, as Barry ran his hand over the red fabric, his fingers working quickly to zip and close the openings. One zipper ran along the inside of Wally's left arm down the side of his belly, and ended where the pants began. It helped Barry to keep that opening to slide into his costume. The other zipper was on the top of the right arm, easy to shut and the fabric came together. The pants slid on with a zipper on the inseam of the inner left leg, and it was easy to drag up. The boots slipped on like gloves. This must be how parents felt helping their kids dress for prom, or their weddings, or their first halloween, mused Barry, as Wally was done getting dressed.

"Why do you need so many zippers?" asked Wally, glaring at the costume.

"Easier to slip on when the ring uncaps and the costume comes out," said Barry, "I'll explain it when you try that trick out. Time to get the cowl on."

Wally tugged the mask on, a little miniature Flash figure in red. He could be Barry's tiny clone, if he didn't keep tugging at the head of the mask. Barry reached out to ruffle the red hair, only to frown at the last minute when he realized that the cowl made Wally's head smooth and unruffled. Not at all like the kid Barry knows.

"How do I look?" asked Wally, a little uncertain as he fidgeted, and Barry replied with sincerity, "Wonderful."

The two head out, where Iris and Joan immediately squeal at the sight of a little red Flash moving alongside Barry, in shiny red spandex with a yellow bolt across his chest. The little lightning bolts poked out of his head, and he kept tugging at the top of the cowl.

"You look wonderful!" said Iris, tugging Wally into a hug.

"Pass me the camera Jay!" said Joan, delighted as she beamed at the family. A few minutes later, pictures were being taken.

"This stupid cowl is annoying," said Wally with a grimace, "Can't I take it off Uncle B? The eye thing is stupid!"

"Give it here," said Joan, a calculating look in her eye as Wally complied.

Within a minute, Joan had her sewing kit out and was cutting through the spandex with ease, scissors finding the delicate seams within the fabric and tearing it apart. Jay was relaxed, so Barry had no issues with it. He watched as her nimble fingers flowed through the fabric, completely unaware of the twitching pre-teen beside her, watching her every move with a mix of horror and delight. Her hands raced and switched, dragging the needle through the fabric like sliding it through water.

Seconds later, Wally's hair was poking out from the red cowl, his green eyes visible as the white eye-mask was tugged out to give Wally better visibility for his first run. His face was bright and beaming as two gold bolts contrasted brightly with the orange and red of his face. More pictures were clicked.

Jay finally opened his mouth, grinning as he said, "Well than kid, ready to run?"

* * *

Originally, this chapter was supposed to be Wally's entire run. But that plan was scrapped because the chapter kept growing. On the bright side, that means that Wally's run is going to be split over three chapters! (Not sure how bright that is, considering it just means I'm doing the slow thing but whatever).

Check out the challenge. Entries accepted until Friday!

Review Replies:

Irenerb: Thank you!

runwithanime: Yep, Wally's going to be older for sure no matter what, but that's an interesting twist. As for John Stewart, I am going to throw him in soon, and probably Guy Gardner because I've been reading old JLI comics and I love Guy! Robin being the more relaxed in the relationship makes so much more sense, not to say that Wally has to be a shy guy, but just Dick is Robin, hence he is unrufflable, where as Wally is dorky. That prompt is adorbs! I love it!

Yuu101cutie: Bats paranoia for the win! He's so great, that I love writing Bats and his suspicions. And that's so true, League kids turn out so well. Makes me wonder if the League should start a program for meta kids, to try and keep them off the streets. As for the ages, Wally is twelve, Dick is ten, Roy is fifteen, and Kaldur is fourteen. Jay and Joan are so fun to write, because I know a lot about them through like, other stories and somewhat through comics, but not about their youth so I can alter them as I go and experiment with their personalities a bit. I refuse to reveal what may happen in the future plot so no comment on that suggestion. And thank you!

Liveyourlifedanceing: Love responding to reviews, so if you do review, I will always respond :) And *snickers* I just wanted to exploit the point about Batman knowing inappropriate things about Barry's wife and nobody caring because it's Batman. Fem any male character can be annoying, but for some reason, Nightwing fem irks me the most because it feels like such a disservice to the general badassery of his character. It's like, you just took the fact that he's young and an acrobat so he must be lean and then manipulated it into a mutated freakazoid character. As for this story, there's a third part, which is like a separate story, so no real romance until then :) And I love Hal!

Purple Pixie5: Thank you! And about the slash, it's not until like, Part 3, so you don't even have to worry about it until then. And I love Hal, he's such a great friend and he's hilarious. As for Carol, I do like her, but then I don't. Carol is like that character I hate at times, and love at times, so I can't say. She might be mentioned or get a vague cameo, but no real appearances otherwise. Lois might make a cameo as well.

RollingUpHigh: No idea about the ship beyond it being a slash-fic (because that's sort of where my options lay and because I don't think I can write Linda well, and I don't particularly care for Spitfire, it's like, I read it and like it if it's a part of the plot, but it's meh). Thank you! I'm glad I got the League right :) As for Bats, he loves to play the hypocrite, in my opinion. But that's why he's lovable.

Red Lightning Bolt: I love those pairings too! I think I've only read one long Kaldur/Wally story, and it's mpreg so that can make people squicky. As for Roy/Wally, I've read a couple good ones, but that's just it. It's only a couple good ones. And Batman knows all, that's all I say.

Threaded Needles: No problem! And I know what you mean, I used to be like that, but then I started to grow fond of birdflash, and then I started to get sort of engrossed, and then it became an obsession. It takes one story, I think, and then you just roll with it.

hoot17: Thank you! Updates are every Wed and Sat. And thank you! Hal is so great, and I'm being such a tease about this run.

MythologyGirl: Yep, Barry's too busy and things suck for him :( And thank you! I love Hal being all supportive and protective.

lesbianmagari: Thank you! The rush of his powers thing bugs me. And I have a larger plot for why he's taking so long to get used to his powers. And Barry/Hal are so cute together.

blueskywclouds: I think that's the case with any story. Add romance and it can lose the plot. But I swear, there will be no romance until Part 3. And even then, the romance isn't my focus. I like reading about Dick's past, but after paganpunk's story, I don't think I can accept another Dick's past. That's literally canon for me now. And I'm glad you're enjoying this story!

little miss BANANNA HEAD: According to Barry, beer is bad for your health so avoid it. According to Iris, when he's legal. According to Hal, he'll treat the kid when he's sixteen.


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: NEW chapter and I'm still not the owner. **

**Challenge closed. **

**Sorry about the late update. I was blocked out of posting because an old story of mine was reported and got deleted :/ However, it does mean I added like, 500-600 words to this chapter. The next chapter is so snarky and I love it. We're getting into the run sort of in this chapter, but well, I'm not going to spoil anything. **

**All the suggestions for the challenges were great and well received! I still have to write the ones that I chose, but I've got my list, and I'm glad you guys enjoyed it! We may do one more around Christmas, so keep any ideas in mind until then :) **

* * *

**Part Two: Ticking**

**Set**

Wally was prepared to race. To run. To utilize his kinetic energy to it's full potential and thereby moving at an extreme velocity through the air. He was all set to go. Except until he _wasn't_. Because apparently there was a lot more to moving with speed than_ just _running. Go figure.

"Alright, first thing's first," said Jay with his military-gym-teacher style attitude that was surprisingly not scary like Coach Saunders back in Keystone, "We get started on coordination. The worst thing about being a speedster is the switch between speeds. Makes a person think you're damn clumsy, but it works out better than you'd think where the whole civilian identity is concerned."

Wally nodded. He almost wanted to take notes, but there was no blackboard, and he still couldn't actually write anything down beyond numbers without tearing the paper or breaking pencils. Typing was marginally better, but he had to type like a cave-man and he worked so slowly that it was almost not worth it. Except until Aunt Iris said that he wasn't allowed to practice speed until he finished his homework. And he knew it worried Jay that his pace was slow, so he had to try harder and slow caveman-typing was worth it so that Jay didn't think he was broken or something.

"The easiest way to start working up the shift in speeds is to work on reflexes," continued Jay, seemingly unaware that Wally's thoughts had abandoned Jay's speech in the moment he paused.

That was an issue all speedsters had, according to Jay. Apparently because a speedster's mind worked at a naturally faster pace, they could think miles ahead if they weren't really concentrating on the task ahead. It's why they were considered to have an attention deficit disorder of some kind. But he really couldn't help it. In the time it took the average person to breathe, Wally could do calculate the derivative of a logarithmic function and the integral of said function. Twice.

"Wally?" said Jay, looking amused, the Flash barely concealing a grin.

Crap.

"Er, sorry," said Wally, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck, "I missed what you said."

"I said that we're going to train your reflexes," said Jay, grinning, "By playing a very fun game of dodge-ball."

That was when Wally noticed the large bag of balls, that must have appeared from thin air (or the radio-shack or airplane garage) that was sitting at Jay's feet. Wally paused, and dropped his hand. His entire face fell and he almost wanted to cry. Instead of getting to run and watch the colours blur and move at the speed of light- he was playing _dodge-ball_. This was going to suck. Worse, he was going to make the biggest fool of himself in front of his idols and they were going to realize why exactly Wally barely managed to scrape a 'C' in gym. It had nothing to do with his mother's laments that the bigger kids had an advantage. His dad had the right idea. It was because he was a scrawny, uncoordinated klutz that couldn't catch a ball for peanuts.

"Relax kid," said Jay easily, mistaking Wally's nerves as excitement rather than fear. "All we're doing is training your reflexes to dodge at high speeds. Barry and I'll give you a demo. Flash?"

Immediately the Flash stepped up to the plate, giving Wally a quick wink though it was hard to tell from behind the cowl. Then he turned his attention to Jay, as he moved to the center of the runway. For a second, everything was quiet, and then, there was a sharp piercing sound as the air was cut by a large ball roving through it. The ball flew through the air, dicing and ripping at amazing speeds before it slid through and headed for the Flash.

The Flash, for his part, stood perfectly still as the ball flew at him. Once it was half-way towards him, he moved out of the way, just leaving enough time for the ball to crash into the ground, leaving a small crack in the asphalt. The Flash grinned, as he called back, "Going easy on me?"

Jay chuckled in response. Wally's eyes nearly bugged out of his head. How was he going to dodge a ball going as fast as a car? Or faster than that even!

"You're turn," said Jay with a nod, "We'll start slow, one ball at a time. Just duck out of the way, alright?"

Wally merely nodded.

Stepping up to the center of the runway, Wally turned to see Jay, giving him a smile. Barry was waving from beside Jay, having already sped over to wait with the other man. Jay lifted a ball, and tossed it into the air, making it seem harmless as he did so. Then he turned to Wally, and with a whip of his arm, he flung it at him.

Wally stared in shock at the ball. The aim was impressive as the ball spun in the air. No wonder Jay had been on the football team as a kid. It moved so fast that it started to pick up some fire at the edges as it flew towards Wally.

"Dodge!" yelled a voice, suddenly finding it's way into Wally's head and his body reacted the only way he remembered how to.

He jumped to the side, watching the blackened thing land a few feet away before tripping on his own two feet, and landing in a heap on the ground. His heart was pounding and he could barely breathe as he stared at the ball ahead of him. Had he actually dodged _that_?

"Kid?" came a worried voice, and Wally turned to see Uncle Bar- Flash, standing above him, looking concerned.

"Di- I- That really happened?" asked Wally, a bit stunned.

"You're doing great kid!"

Wally turned to see Jay, standing before him as well. He felt a bit envious as he looked at the older two Flashes, both grinning encouragingly at him. Wally licked his lips as he stood up, his legs a bit wobbly still.

"You're reflexes are starting to work. Let yourself relax. Feel the speed," said Jay soothingly, "Let's keep going, okay?"

"Yeah," said Wally shakily, as Jay lead Barry away.

He was once again standing in the middle of the air strip, waiting for Jay's call. He heard Jay's yell of 'Now!' before he saw the ball coming at him. This time the angle was lower, aiming for his legs rather than his torso. The speed was the same break-neck speed it had been before, and Wally reacted instinctively, as he ducked to the side. This time without tripping.

"Now!"

A second one came after the first, this time from a different angle and it was soaring through the air, making it's way to hit him. Wally frowned, as he stared at the angle. He backed up four steps, and as predicted, the ball landed in front of him. Had he been in his spot, the force of the ball's impact with the ground might have been enough to disrupt his balance, but it wouldn't have struck.

Suddenly there was a little 'click' in his mind. This was physics! If he was able to estimate the ball's trajectory he could possibly determine the position it would hit. Of course, he could hardly do the entire mathematical process but-

"Now!"

He could probably use a base model and rework it for the situation. The thought was cut off as he rushed slightly to the left, avoiding a ball that narrowly missed his shoulder. Bad guess. He'd overestimated the ball's path and almost ran into it. The next ball coming at him was coming low and almost looking to be rolling through the air, just hovering over the air-strip as it bounced twice on the ground. Safely Wally stayed where he was, letting it roll away to the left of him.

"You're doing great Kid!" called Flash, grinning immensely at the situation, "Ready for two on one?"

Wally gaped at his uncle, unsure. Jay was still throwing the balls, and he was still dodging. One ball had grazed the top of his shoulder, and he'd just felt the ball's hit. The costume had absorbed the friction of the blow, but other than that, this was easy. He still had to work on that model, but this was easy.

"Ye- Yeah!" he called, and to his surprise, rather than Uncle Barry picking up the balls, Jay was. He was sending them two at a time, using his advantage as a speedster to send them at faster speeds than Wally was prepared for, and from various angles.

Out of the corner of his eye, Wally noticed that his Uncle Barry was speeding around and collecting the balls on the ground that were surprisingly still in tact and toss-able. He'd managed to grasp the basic models for the pathways the balls could take and he had a pretty good idea of how to predict their movements and where he should go, but other than that, it wasn't too much math. And he noticed now, that he was definitely moving faster than the balls. It was getting easy to duck this way and that.

In fact, it was so easy that Wally was now prioritizing in his own mind the differences in when each ball would hit. Ball B from the right would hit later than Ball A from the left, so he could afford to wait in Ball B's pathway for a few seconds before ducking away. In this haze of balls flying, nobody sought to warn Wally of the third ball now entering the arena thanks to his Uncle Barry.

As the ball whizzed past Wally's torso, the boy having ducked at the last second, he turned to see a grinning Barry holding a ball up and bouncing it before he suddenly whipped it with a tremendous force at Wally. And this ball was going faster than the ones Jay was throwing. As if Barry's entry into their game had spurred Jay on, the balls themselves were moving faster. To Joan and Iris, it was just blurs of reds and blacks and blues, spinning around as they moved, and then stopped to reveal which speedster was where, or which ball was going where and landing and splitting asphalt below it.

Some were so fast Wally had to react instinctively and duck out of the way, while others were moving so slow that Wally had to blink thrice and just walk a few steps and watch it fall away. He didn't realize he was grinning as they continued to play their game. He didn't realize the laughter that started to bubble from his lips, pouring out in a way he'd never felt before while playing sports.

The once difficult-to-attune senses were reacting instinctively, his mind still faster than his brain as he moved. The model in his mind was still there, but it was muted. Almost like an after thought to consider later on. He found himself able to hear the ball, sense the shifts in the winds around him. It was like his body had become hypersensitive. Every movement around him was registering in his senses. It was _soamazing_. He could tell the speeds that were heading towards him before he saw the ball themselves. And then he just knew where to move. Like he was some kind of fortune-teller.

"Alright! Time!" called Jay, his words moving at a hyperspeed to register with Wally's speed.

The boy grinned as he came to a stop, bouncing on the balls of his feet. His kinetic energy was pulsing through him, struggling to be contained. He wanted to run. To be released. To finally achieve that speed catharsis that he could only dream about late at night before his tired mind shut down.

"Canwerun_now_?!" begged Wally, as Uncle Barry came over and ruffled his hair, laughing at the pink-faced boy before him and his enthusiasm.

"Well done!" called Jay, grinning as he came over, "Only one hit! I don't think I've seen anyone attune to the speed as quickly as you kid. Took me a couple of days before I could figure out how to deal with everyone moving at different speeds around me. Took Barry what, a month?"

"Two weeks," said Barry grudgingly, but his grin betrayed no hurt at the subject, "I could switch speeds like I could breathe, but being able to sense speed took me two weeks to figure out without hurting myself or anyone else in the process. And it took the kid what, two hours?"

"I did it better than you?" squeaked Wally, eyes wide in shock as pride filled his body. He had done_ better_ than the Flash.

"Probably means he's got a natural feel of speed around him, but his body can't regulate it," said Jay thoughtfully as he stroked his chin, "Like the opposite to you. He's struggling to figure out his own internal speeds, and you can regulate the internal speeds at ease. Huh. Another speed mystery."

"What about you then Jay?" asked Wally with a small frown, "And what does that mean? I can't control my own speed but I can control the speed around me?"

"Not control the speed around you per say," said Jay easily, "Just you're extremely aware of the speed around you. I've never heard of anyone that could control speed, but I'm hardly the speedster expert myself. Anyways, what it means is that you're a bit more different from me and Barry. Every speedster is different, don't get me wrong, but you're a bit more different. I've probably got a closer understanding to the speed style that you've got, but overall, my speed's a lot more like Barry's in the sense that I understood my own speed before I was able to process the speed around me. You're working backwards kid, you've got full control and understanding of speeds around you, but absolutely no control of your internal speeds."

"Could it be because of his age?" offered Barry, seeing Wally's confused look, "Teenagers hardly have control of themselves at this age with all the hormonal changes. It could be why he's struggling to set his speeds."

"Could be," said Jay with a nod, and then a stern expression came across his face, "But it definitely means that we need to change his regimen. I should have realized when we were doing the mental training. He wasn't regulating his heart rate on his own, but he was more focused on attuning his heart rate to Joan or myself. And I encouraged him thinking he was figuring out how to differentiate between average speed and speedster speed. He's probably got no understanding of it at all. No wonder he's still struggling with reading! He's got nothing to compare his speed to when he's reading! Shit!"

"So- I'm messed up?" asked Wally, eyes wide and the excitement from earlier fading entirely as he stared in horror at Jay. He'd never seen the older speedster so upset! And it was because he was screwed up.

"Calm down Jay," said Barry sternly, before giving Wally a gentle smile and wrapping an arm around the kid, "And you're not messed up kid. Jay's just upset because all the mental training you've been doing wasn't actually of any help to you at all. It just means that we've got to work on a new training set for you."

"So- Does that mean I'm not going to be able to run with you?" asked Wally, swallowing at the idea, and biting his lower lip.

"Course not kid," said Jay, tilting his metal hat upwards and sighing, "It just means that there's no way in hell you're going to be ready for school this year."

"Oh," said Wally, a small grin on his face, "That's okay I guess. I'd rather train with you."

The two older speedsters laughed at Wally's suggestion, and Jay reached out and ruffled his hair. He exchanged a look with Barry that went over the kid's head, and replied instead, "No can do kiddo. You're still going to go to school, we're just going to have to train a lot longer. But I guess that means more body exercises. Let's grab some water and start part two of your training."

* * *

Iris was prepared when the boys abandoned whatever animated discussion they were having and came over. Automatically, two bottles of water were thrust at Barry, two at Wally, and three at Jay. At once, the three tipped the bottles backwards and gulped the water in unison, making Joan chuckle as she continued her sewing. Apparently she had decided to make Wally some authentic Flash pyjamas themed to match the older Flash and Barry's Flash after the boy had pointed out he had no merchandise themed for both Flashes, or Jay's Flash.

"How's it going?" asked Iris with a small smile.

"He's like a mini-speedometer of sorts," said Jay with a chuckle, "Kid can sense speeds like nothing I've ever seen before."

"I'm-I'mdrop- _dropping_ out of school to train!" said Wally, his speed regulating as he slowed himself to match Iris and Jay's conversation. Iris froze for a minute, before immediately sliding her eyes to Barry and raising one elegant eyebrow.

"I'll explain later," said Barry with a chuckle, "And he's not dropping out!"

"Not like I need school anyways if I'm going to be a superhero," continued Wally, ignoring Barry entirely.

"Who needs a secret identity," said Iris wryly, "And I thought you wanted to be a scientist-superhero?"

"Oh yeah," said Wally, crestfallen at the idea.

Joan just gave a little laugh in the background before saying, "So I'm assuming you boys are having fun?"

"Tons!" said Wally with a grin, "Did you see us out there?!"

"You were all such quick blurs, but we saw the gist of it. Iris took some pictures and recorded a bit," said Joan with a nod, "Are you hungry?"

"Nah," said Wally with a shrug, "We're going to do part two of the training now!"

"What's part two?" asked Iris with a questioning glance, "Running?"

"More winding than running," said Jay with a nod to Barry, who immediately gave a nod and rushed ahead to the garage for the jets.

"Winding?" asked Wally, looking a little lost.

"It's like running, but short distances and around objects," explained Jay, "No clear-cut running yet. Barry's going to set up a few hurdles and you're going to go through the obstacles, getting faster and faster with each run through. Once you've run through the course and reached your maximum, Barry and I are going to start switching the course up. You'll keep running, but it's like speed sensing with immobilized objects. You've got to anticipate something in front, behind, or beside you and know where to move. Barry's not bad at it, I took to it with ease. I have no clue what that means for you kid. Either you'll be able to move through the course like a fish, or we'll be at it for a while."

"And then do we run? Like together? To like Kansas or something?" asked Wally, impatient.

"And then we can run. Well, this exercise is sort of running, but you're on your own, and it's contained" acquiesced Jay with a nod, and a smirk, "You need these skills though, being able to predict where to move and react without a thought. If you can't tell what's where and what's going to move and how, you'll crash into a lot of things and hurt yourself or the people around you."

Wally nodded solemnly, before turning to hear Barry's call. With a last wave to his aunt and Joan, he followed Jay out to the course.

* * *

The course Barry had set up was deceptively easy. He'd used the poles that he suspected Bruce had left specifically to help with training, like he had with the balls, and created a very simple hurdles course. There was a small wall to jump over first. It was brick, and set up wide at the corner. About three or four kilometers away. Then there were ten tires to step through. About five kilometers away from the tires were three large poles to wind around. The poles were spaced a kilometer apart each. Finally, Barry had set up a narrow gate about two kilometers away made up by two small fence-like structures that you had to move through before repeating the course. The course was widely spaced, with spaces between everything and probably about ten kilometers between the last obstacle and the first wall. Plenty of room to move and play. It was made up in a circular shape, like a circuit.

"Alright, start of walking through the course," said Jay, resuming his role as gym teacher, "Go slow and steady, get a feel for it, even if it feels silly. Once you're comfortable, speed up and start running. Just keep going until you can't get any faster."

"It's going to get pretty boring by the time you get there, but Jay and I are going to time you and measure your speed to get an idea of what we're dealing with," said Barry with a nod, "So don't be surprised if the changes don't come too soon."

Wally just nodded hesitantly, before he jumped over the small brick wall, barely a foot high. Then he was stepping through the four tires, going slowly and getting a feel for stretching his legs as he hopped. The poles were easy to wind through, and he strolled through them before crossing the narrow wall, which was actually a bit wider than Barry had intended as Wally went through it with ease.

He repeated the process three times, each time getting a little more confident as he slipped through. Finally he called out, "I'm going to start running through it!"

"Go ahead," replied Jay, his sensor out as he headed to the narrow wall escape and stood, ready to take readings of Wally's speed. Reluctantly, Barry followed and glanced over at the sensor's screen.

Wally began to run, slow still. It was just a jog really, an average, normal jog as he huffed through the course, looking for all the world as bored as Barry felt. After he clocked through the wall, his speed barely clocking nine km/h. However, that began to change as he gradually picked up speed. By the fourth run through the course, he was running at twenty km/h and barely breaking a sweat. This was the first time Barry had gotten a chance to see Wally actually moving, actually picking up speed. The dodge-ball game wasn't like this slow, tandem dance that was picking up tempo. It was too sudden and jerky and Wally had hardly been going at a fast, running pace. This was running in all it's grace. Like ballet.

He got faster still. Barry's eyes had to adjust as the kid started to slowly blur. By the eleventh run through the course, he was at 156.7 km/h. And still gaining in speed. Barry watched, as the kid went into a red, kinetic blur that was circling now, a small laugh tinkling through the air, barely heard at the speed Wally was moving, but enough for Jay to chuckle beside him, and Barry to crack a grin. He was at his twenty-fifth run through the course, and the speed he was touching was almost five hundred km/h. And still gaining.

"Haven't seen the kid go this fast," murmured Jay, as he glanced at the sensor. If Wally kept going at the pace he was going, he could easily pass the sensor's measly limit of a thousand kilometres per hour. They may have to break out the sensor for measuring air-plane speeds that Bruce probably left lying around somewhere. Probably to hook up the results to the Bat-Cave.

"He's something alright," said Barry, as Wally reached nine hundred kilometres per hour by his fiftieth run through, the sound of the kid running through the air filling Barry's ears. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Iris and Joan standing and watching, their mouths open and grinning wide. It was really something alright, to see the kid at work. It wasn't a real run by no matter, but it was _fast._ And it was proof. Proof of something they'd only ever seen hints of. Proof that the one day of seeing Wally speed through their house was real.

"Keep your eye on the kid," said Jay softly, "If he keeps letting go like this, he may touch sound."

And Barry watched, eyes hungry as he stared at Wally, just making out the kid's delighted expression as he weaved through the barriers and obstacles, light on his feet like Hermes himself. The red hair was whipping around Wally's face, as the wind current he was creating whipped by them, probably reaching Iris and Joan and blowing a cool breeze. There was a light funnel of air dancing above the kid.

But sound barrier.

He was just touching about 984 kilometers per hour, twice as fast as his first time running, but not enough to break sound. He had started to hover at that speed. Probably as stretched as he was for now. He'd need practice with speed. But Barry found himself unable to care. Because this was good. This was _more _than good. This was awe-inspiring all on it's own. And Barry was content to just watch.

* * *

Hal felt like a real jack-ass when he arrived. At first, he hadn't expected what he saw, really. He'd been stunned as he flew over Washington state, and came to the address Batman had told him. The first thing he saw was a red blur, running in circles in the middle of an abandoned airstrip. He'd assumed it was Barry, and started to soar down, letting the ring lead. Then he'd actually seen Barry.

And _holy fuck_ that wasn't Barry running.

There was the kid, _running._ Like _really _running, but not real at the same time. He was just cycling through some weird course Barry had set up. Jay was moving some tires, rolling them in and trying to mess the kid up. But that little red blur kept at it. Hal could only stand there, breath caught in his throat as he watched him move, dancing and the sound of laughter just tinkling through his ears. His throat stuck, and he couldn't help but stare. It was beautiful. Like the first time he'd ever flown in a plane. Mesmerizing.

_"Green Lantern- Back-up required! Have you got Flash yet?! __Why is his comm off?__" _came the annoying drawl of one Superman himself.

Right.

He wasn't here to observe.

Hal dove into the situation, easily adding his own ring's light to the obstacle course to signal his entry in. He created a few poles, and the kid winded through them, before suddenly realizing what they were. As if on cue, he wheeled off his circular course, and Hal had to change the poles into a hand to pluck the kid out of the air before he crashed into something. He winced at sudden bang into the hand, more for the kid's sake than himself.

"Uncle Hal?!" cried Wally, staring at the man, looking dazed, "What- Green Lantern- What?!"

"Hey kiddo," said Hal with a wink, as he landed on his feet, bringing Wally down.

"What- Why are you here Hal? In costume?" asked Barry, uncertain as he sped over, "And that was dangerous just tossing in like that."

"Are you going to join us?!" asked Wally, looking bright and cheerful.

"Sorry, no can do kid," said Hal, glancing at Barry. The Flash's face fell, as he realized why Hal was here.

"A mission? Seriously?! I had the day off!" said Flash, looking ticked off.

"It's in Star, you and I are the closest to respond. Ultra Humanite, Metallo, Volcana and Killer Frost are robbing a museum of a large diamond or something. John just took out a chunk of heroes for an off-world mission, so we're closest and fastest to respond. Superman's already on site, Green Arrow's trying to sneak away from a board meeting as we speak," said Hal apologetically, "And Batman's pissed your comm was off. I told him I'd get you."

"I turned it off for a reason," growled Flash.

"You're leaving?" asked Wally, face falling in his little red Flash costume.

"You're making a mini-Flash?" asked Hal, indicating the costume, but was ignored as Flash bent over his young nephew and sighed.

"I got to head out kiddo," said Flash with a grimace, "But I'll be back soon and then we'll run together for real. Be good for Jay, okay?"

"Kay," said Wally, shrugging and failing to hide the disappointment on his face.

"C'mon Barry," said Hal, and the two headed to the zetas.

The last thing Flash saw was his nephew's disappointment expression before he was beamed away.

* * *

Review Replies:

irenerb, lack-4-a-better-name: Thank you!

runwithanime: Never got around to watching it, but I'll check it out! I was disappointed when I found out Kyle didn't show up :( But yeah, that moment was hilarious, but Guy does get into the JL later on, so I'm guessing Barry kept arguing for it! Guy's great, but I can totally see him being his annoying self and grating on Barry whereas Wally adores him (I have this head-cannon that Wally tends to get along with questionable characters which has Barry working himself into a frenzy. Proof: Magenta and Piper). And I don't want to draw too many GL's into the story, but I'll save that for a request :)

Red Lightning Bolt: Thank you! Barry's just possessive :P I'll keep that idea in mind, *snickers*. And yeah, that's the one! I love that author, her stories are fabulous (even though most aren't finished) and it's not abandoned, she just updates slowly. And that post sounds adorbs! Most of my fanfic spans across LJ and AO3 and this site, I just type the pairing in and go exploring.

Purple Pixie5: S'ok, we've all had lazy days. We're sort of getting into the run with this chapter, but it's not the final run I have in mind~! And Hal made an appearance (Even if it was disappointing). Haven't seen the movie after what I heard. I love Hal too much to see it going wrong. But the next chapter has my favorite DC trio (well, one of them) and two thirds of it equals Barry and Hal :P

Ally Marton: Loool :D He sort of started here, and then Hal came and killed the buzz. Stupid Superman and Batman. And yep, he's a mini-Flash! Totally okay about the review thing, I just like hearing from you :)

lesbianmagari: Thank you! I adore family moments :) And the Flash fam is filled with it!

Grayson 3: For the challenges, by all means you can add more (sorry I didn't reply earlier) even if the date is closed since It's unfair that you cut yourself off, but there's no limits. Just post all the stories you'd like and I'll pluck out the ones I like from your next review/PM or whatever. As for the challenge though, I can already let you know that the Bruce one with him finding out about the family situation won't be happening (I have a plan for that and well, it gets a whole lot messier, that's all I'll say). Otherwise though, thank you for all those ideas! And thank you for staying on board with the plot! I'm really glad you're sticking with me :)

hoot17: Thank you! And ergh, It's more like split over three chapters... :/ Sorry

MythologyGirl: Haha thanks! I love adorbs family moments! They're like, the reason I write, no lie.


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: NEW chapter and I'm still not the owner. **

**Challenge closed. **

**Sorry about the late update. I was blocked out of posting because an old story of mine was reported and got deleted :/ However, it does mean I added like, 500-600 words to this chapter. The next chapter is so snarky and I love it. We're getting into the run sort of in this chapter, but well, I'm not going to spoil anything. **

**All the suggestions for the challenges were great and well received! I still have to write the ones that I chose, but I've got my list, and I'm glad you guys enjoyed it! We may do one more around Christmas, so keep any ideas in mind until then :) **

* * *

**Part Two: Ticking**

**Go**

By the time Barry and Hal arrived in Star City, Green Arrow and Speedy were already on scene. Superman and Metallo were pounding into each other, striking furiously in the air, pouncing and jumping. The clangs and bashes of their battle rang through the museum. A fire was roaring on one side of the museum. Volcana. An icicle whizzed past Hal- Killer Frost- only to be met by a fiery arrow that melted the ice on impact, the slight explosion sending small chunks of ice flying around the museum hall.

Speedy.

Barry whipped his head around to see the teen hanging on the balcony area of the museum, taking shots as fast as Ollie, if not faster. His tongue was poking out between his lips, a strange delight strumming through the kid despite the tenseness of the situation. Born for this life. Someday that might be Wally.

"Are you going to stand there or actually help?!" yelled Ollie from across the room, diving out of the way as the Ultra-Humanite fired a laser-gun at the archer.

An arrow flew at the monkey-ape-genius, exploding into polyurethane foam but unfortunately missing it's target. Hal snorted from beside him and said, "Can't even handle the monkey?"

"For your information, I am a primate of superior intellect to you, monkey," sneered Ultra-Humanite, before firing his laser at Hal. Yellow light. Stupid genius monkey. He had no time to enjoy blasting Hal backwards though, because Speedy was firing a net-arrow at the ape, forcing him to jump backwards into Ollie's electro-shock arrow. His laser-gun sliced it in half before it struck true, but just barely.

"Well, what do we have here?" came a grating, high-pitched voice, like nails on a board.

"Heroes," snarled a deeper, aggressive voice, "Pathetic ones at that."

"Ladies," said Barry, turning Killer Frost and Volcana, both carrying bags of jewels in their hands. Apparently this was an attempted robbery of a jewel collection.

"I got Frosty," said Barry, already moving quickly, winding his fist back to smash through Frost's ice and relieve some of his anger from being torn away from Wally.

She was quick, however, and used her ice to lift herself above the speedster, before vaulting backwards in a perfect flip, her little blue dress apparently not at all restrictive of her movements. Volcana was covering Frost. Apparently this team-up of lam-os had actual coordination. Volcana let loose a large flame ball towards Barry, but Hal was quicker, erecting a green wall between the flame and Barry.

"Honey, it's rude to cut in a dance," said Hal cheerfully, "Why don't you and I get cozy instead?"

"I know your type," said Volcana, easily gliding out of Hal's way as he spun a lasso around and tried to whip it at the woman, "The minute things start to warm up, you run." She accentuated this idea with a whip of flames, dicing around Hal and just barely missing his head.

"I'm more of a hands on kind of guy" said Hal with a chuckle, as his ring formed a large green hand that swiped out at Volcana, trying to capture her in his hand.

"Now you're just trifling with my affection," said Volcana with a snarl, furious flames darting along the walls, striking sharp and true. Hal flew backwards.

"Now we're talking," said Hal with a smirk, "Maybe I am ready to get serious."

His light shifted into two missiles, flying sharply at Volcana. She dodged the first, but the second hit it's mark, knocking the fiery villainess backwards. She growled, dazed and probably concussed as she stood up. Hal himself only had a few singes on his suit, and a nasty burn developing on his shoulder. All in all, a pretty good day.

"Thanks a lot babe," said Hal with a wink, before locked the fiery villainess in a bubble, "I had a great time, but commitment's not really my thing. Maybe jail will be your speed, with your reputation, I think it's a life long one for you."

Volcana screamed in fury.

Over on the other side of the room, Barry was far more stoic and serious than usual. Normally, he, Hal and Ollie together meant they were making horrible jokes, cracking puns, but Barry's mood was off. He wasn't speeding between battles to help out or cover his friends, while chuckling about something Ollie said, or making a witty comment (bad pun) about Hal's situation. Instead, he was solely focused on Frost, and taking her down as quick as possible. It helped that he had a regular ice villain to deal with himself.

"You really need to freeze!" snarled Killer Frost, as she used both her hands to direct a blast of ice at Barry, but he was moving fast, faster than necessary and ducked below the ice blast before vibrating his molecules into it, causing the ice to break and shards to fly backwards at Frost.

"With red spandex like that you'd think you'd be a little more cheerful," muttered Frost, using her ice to lift her up into the air and flip upwards. "Oh well, it'll match your blood."

With that, shards of ice flew at Barry, but he pummeled through them with his fists, relieved to be getting some of the anger and frustration with his situation off. The more ice Frost tossed at him, the greater excuse he had to pummel and break things and vibrate out his anger.

"Whoa Flash! That shard almost hit Speedy! What the hell are you doing man?" yelled Ollie from somewhere in the distance, barely registering in the Flash's mind.

Hit Speedy.

Oh.

Crap.

Barry took a deep breath, and calmed down. It was a shitty situation, but he was acting like a crazy person. He needed to reign his temper in and just relax. He owed it to Iris and Wally to be the best Flash he could be. Besides, he knew he had his obligations, and his duty came first. He knew this. It just sucked.

Slowing himself down a bit, Barry was now able to take in the skid marks and the ice flying everywhere. He'd trashed this place. So much for minimizing damages before the anniversary event. He shook his head, and moved quickly but effortlessly now, not letting Frost toy with him. She'd taken the upper hand, allowing his frustration to let her guide the fight. Rookie mistake. He could practically hear Batman scoffing at him in that deep tone the man used specially for idiots and Superman.

With that in mind, Barry whirred, finishing his fight fast as he broke her platform. The ice villainess flipped, trying to regain her balance and aim her ice shards, but Speedy was faster. His net-arrow struck true, tripping her in the air, and allowing Barry to wrestle her down, before one quick jab at a pressure point in her throat and she was out like a light.

He turned to see Ollie already arresting Ultra-Humanite, and Superman had returned with Metallo, jewels in one hand, the villain in the other. Judging from the Kryptonian's scowl, he was not impressed at the state Barry's little stress-reliever had left the museum in. Damn it.

* * *

The fight had taken all of an hour. Not a big deal. It was the aftermath that Barry was struggling with. Superman forced Barry to stay and see the cops off, as well as help with clean up. While Hal had tried to talk the alien down, Superman was not pleased. And Barry knew he deserved it. He _had_ mucked things up. This was why he didn't let his temper get the best of him. Clean up had really only taken a half hour with his speed, and then he'd gotten to pig out at the museum cafeteria. But the reporters were here and he had to face them. And they just didn't leave. Not to mention he still had to debrief with Superman, J'onn or Batman at the Watchtower.

"So, when were you going to tell me about your kid?" asked Green Arrow from beside Flash, as he watched the cops loading the metas into their van. Inhibitor collars were placed on each of them.

"How- What- What are you-

"Oh shut up Flash," said Green Arrow with a snort, "GL told me and Dinah."

Flash turned his glare to Hal, who raised his hands in a mock surrender motion as he replied, "Hey! Don't give me that look! You told the League, and I know Superman was talking about it with Batman and that the Hawks overheard, so I thought it was only fair that GA heard it from me or you rather than the Hawks."

"Shayera and Katar know?" gaped Flash, wondering what happened to privacy.

"Yep, they were talking with Superman about it," said Hal apologetically, "So does John by the way. I told him too."

"So, who doesn't know?" asked Flash, frustrated again. Where did Killer Frost go when he needed her?

"I didn't," said an annoyed Speedy, earning the attention of the three men to the scowling fifteen-year old staring at his mentor, "Since when does the Flash have a kid? Is he going to become his partner?"

"He's not my kid," said the Flash exasperatedly, "He's just _a_ kid, with super-speed, who _happens_ to be related to me."

"So he's your kid," said an unimpressed Speedy, before turning to Green Arrow and asking angrily, "When were you going to tell me?"

"It wasn't my secret to tell! And I wasn't even supposed to know!" said the archer defensively.

"I didn't tell them anything big," admitted Hal, ignoring the scowling teenager and flustered mentor, "Just that he's your new partner-in-training."

"So he is your partner," said Speedy flippantly, though a hint of curiosity bordering on his tone, "What's he like?"

"Yeah, what's he like?" asked Ollie eagerly, earning an eye-roll from Hal and Speedy.

"He's my nephew, who replicated my situation, and got my powers," said Flash quietly, after glancing around to make sure nobody was paying attention. Somehow, they'd left Superman to crowd control, as he was swarmed with reporters. The rest of them were merely standing in the background, hanger-ons that waved politely and let people take their photos.

"So he's a nerd?" asked Speedy bluntly, and Ollie seemed less enthused as well. Idiots. Okay that was unfair. Just Ollie then.

"He's smart," corrected Barry, while Hal snorted and said, "Twice as smart as Arrow at least."

"Ten times smarter than you then," replied Green Arrow with a snort, "You're a bit dim for a Lantern."

"That sounds like Barry!" said Hal accusingly, "Bad puns are Barry's thing!"

"It's a great pun!" argued Ollie, "It's a fabulous pun! My puns kick your puns asses!"

"It's a shitty pun," deadpanned Speedy, "Puns are lame."

"My puns aren't that bad," defended Barry halfheartedly, wondering how mad Superman would be if he slipped away.

"Your puns are shittier than Arrow's, and that says a lot Flash," said Hal with a shake of his head.

"And they built a museum for him," agreed Green Arrow. Great. They had found a target to occupy their attention. _Him_.

"So, when's your partner hitting the streets?" asked Speedy, absolutely failing at maintaining a nonchalant interest.

"Not until next year," said Flash seriously, "He's got a lot to work on."

"But the kid was running when I saw him!" said Hal curiously, earning Ollie's concern as well.

"It's a lot more than just running," said Flash awkwardly as he realized all three men were focused on him, "It's about control. He's a metahuman kid."

"So?" asked Speedy, apparently unconcerned.

"It means that his body's just adjusting to his new powers," explained Flash gently, "It's hard, dealing with speed. And his situation is unique to speedsters. Whereas me and the old Flash were more internally-focused speedsters, his speed is more externally focused."

"What the hell does that mean?" said Ollie with a simple frown.

"Well, I can regulate my speed, which is why changing speeds from mach 1 to zero isn't an issue. My body's instantaneous, and I can control everything about it. I can sense the speeds around me, but it took a long time, and lots of concentration," explained Barry quietly, "It's how I vibrate through things. First I figure out the speed around me, and then I vibrate. His speed is the opposite. He can sense the speeds around him with ease, but his own internal function-ability is compromised. He can't regulate his own speeds, which makes functioning daily hard. For now, it's mostly a mental issue where his mind is too fast for his body, but as his body trains, well, it could get worse. Ideally, it could get better, but chances are it could also get worse. If he's not careful, the speed will take over while he's at school or worse."

"Whoa," said Hal, eyes wide, making his mask slits go large and white, "So what are you planning for the school situation? _Home_-school?"

"If only it were that simple," said Flash quietly, "But now's not the place or time to talk."

"Y'know," said Ollie thoughtfully, "He's probably overwhelmed with the powers and responsibility. It might be a good idea to introduce him to some other heroes besides Hal so that he can get some perspective on it. Why don't you bring him around? Canary could probably be a big help in this sort of thing. After all, she was a teenager when she got her powers and she had trouble figuring it out as well. And Speedy could use some more hero friends."

"I don't need you to make me play-dates!" growled Speedy, though it wasn't as harsh as it could have been.

"That was almost smart," said Hal in shock, "Did you get hit too hard by the monkey?"

"Oh shut up," said Ollie with a light punch to the man, "Flash's situation reminded me of my pretty bird's story. I can be sensitive."

"What has the world come to?! First Flash gets a chain and ball around his dick and now you're going the same way," said Hal in mock horror, before slinging an arm around Speedy, "Stick with me kid, and you'll never have to worry about being tied down for life!"

"Asshole," said Green Arrow as Flash shook his head, "Anyways, bring the kid around someday. Let me know in advance so I can make my chilli for him!"

"Don't do it. I forbid the Flash from bringing the kid around you. Ever," said Hal flatly, while Ollie started to splutter and Speedy and Flash snickered at the outraged hero.

* * *

By the time the crowd was satisfied, and the Flash had given his report to the Watchtower and a quick media interview, four hours had passed. This was why even simple missions grated on the Flash's nerves. They just took too _long_, and being a speedster made that time feel amplified. Normal situations meant Barry could deal with it. But today was not a normal day.

As he was leaving the station, he noticed Black Canary in the sparring room, having just gotten back from a meeting with the U.N about announcing new League memberships at the anniversary this year. They had already approached the android, Red Tornado, Captain Marvel, and old Doctor Fate for memberships, with the former two agreeing immediately, and Fate agreeing to a part-time membership due to his seniority.

Black Canary turned in surprise when she saw the Flash approach her. He looked nervous, bouncing on his heels, and apparently waiting for her to finish pounding the crap out of the training dummies. By the time she was done, she turned to the Flash, who now looked annoyed but still patient. That was new though. She had thought the Flash could never get annoyed. There was a reason Ollie and Hal kept calling him Saint Barry.

"Flash," said Black Canary coolly, as she moved to the bench to grab a drink of water, brushing back a few blonde hairs from her forehead, "Can I help you?"

"Er- Yeah," said Flash, rubbing the back of his neck nervously, "I- um, I have this new sidekick- partner- kid- and er, Ollie said you might be able to- talk- chat- speak with him, and me, y'know, about- stuff. Like being a metakid."

Dinah raised her dark eyebrows in surprise, blue eyes wide at the suggestion. Honestly, she had never expected Ollie to suggest something like that. She made a mental note to reward him for being thoughtful, not realizing the small smile on her face at Ollie's sweet moment of the week.

"Did he really?" asked Dinah with a laugh, "And hear I was sure he was only paying attention to avoid being yelled at. But yeah, I wouldn't mind talking to him about it. I know what it's like being a meta and growing up surrounded by heroes. Actually, I think it helped, having a large community to rely on. When I was frustrated and my mom was busy being Black Canary, I had people to go to. Not to mention I always had someone to teach me some fancy new skill that saved my ass several times."

"So you think maybe I should think about introducing the kid to new people?" asked Barry curiously, "I mean, he's got Hal and me, but we do get paired up together quite a bit for missions, and sometimes we're not around for days. And there's the Garricks, and they're great with the kid. But is that enough?"

"I don't doubt you're great with the kid, but Hal's a little- blunt," said Dinah with a grimace, thinking of the other man and his behavior with Roy, "He's a good person to have in the kid's corner, but maybe not the best person to relate to his situation. The Garricks will be great for the support, but ultimately, their retired and a metakid needs a lot of attention and people to talk to. Otherwise, well, you know the statistics better than I do of the number of metakids that have taken to the streets. I think we're at seventy-percent of metakids commit crimes? I mean, it's not like we have a large community of them, and most have crime in their family's, but that's still a terrible number considering the League's presence. I'd be more than happy to talk with the kid though. Have you thought about introducing the boy to the League?"

"A little," admitted Barry, "Well- no, not really. Mostly in the last four hours since Green Arrow mentioned it."

"It's not a bad idea," said Dinah with a nod. "But that's up to you, really. It can be a lot just dealing with the powers."

"I- I have to go," said Barry, not as reluctantly as Dinah would have thought, "But- can we continue this conversation? I mean- I honestly don't know what I'm doing some days. Jay's the one running most of the training because I have my hands full with the League and Central right now. I mean, I need to talk to Iris about it, but I have no idea how to raise a meta kid."

"I'm here for you, whatever you need Barry," said Dinah, smiling at the man and dropping the hero name for their personal conversation, "What are you and Iris doing on Friday?"

"We _should_ be at home," said Barry, a little bitterly. "But with work and all the preparations, I can't be sure."

"Well, whatever the case, if you have time, come by Star," said Dinah with a nod, "If you want to bring the kid or not is your choice, but I'll tell Ollie we're doing dinner and we can talk some more."

"Really?" asked Barry, looking relieved from behind the red cowl, "That would be great Dinah! Thank you!"

"It's my pleasure," said Dinah honestly, "Now, don't you have somewhere to be? You're going to be late."

"Right! Thanks Dinah!" called the Flash, before he zipped away to the zeta tubes, and beamed away.

* * *

After the Flash left, Jay noticed a considerable drop in Wally's mood. His speed decreased by about a hundred kilometers, and he was less enthusiastic about going through the motions. The boy made more mistakes than usual, even though Jay knew he was able to feel the molecules vibrating around him of even the inanimate objects. And honestly, Jay didn't blame the kid.

It was a buzz-kill that Barry had to go so soon, and who knew when he'd be back? It didn't help that this was one of the first times Wally had ever had Barry's hero duties interrupt their time together. It was just poor timing on every part. Barry's life was filled with commitments he couldn't ignore, and Wally had been an unplanned surprise. It wasn't like Barry didn't adore his nephew, but he wasn't in a position to take time off. Not when all hands were needed on deck. And sometimes, you had to sacrifice family for the world.

Lord knows how many anniversaries, birthdays and dates Jay had missed over the years. Sometimes he'd disappear for a month or two at a time with no warning for Joan. His wife was a good one. She'd taken it in stride, being strong for them and hemming and hawing to the neighbors and work. But that was the deciding factor of whether to take the risk and have a kid. With no support for the two of them, they had decided it was better not to take such a huge responsibility, not when Jay's life was so uncertain. At least Barry had himself and Joan to help Iris and Wally through this.

And Iris was no slouch herself. She was the one who noticed her nephew's disappointment, and she'd been the one to fix it. Suddenly Iris was beside him, cheering loudly and proudly for Wally. They'd taken a break for lunch after Barry left, gorging and eating slowly, hoping to delay the process and let Barry return. But that wasn't the case. So about an hour after lunch, and a half-hour of working through mental exercises, Iris was by their side. Taking Barry's place until he could fulfill it. And Jay had never been prouder.

What Iris lacked in speed, she made up for in heart. Their obstacle course continues, as Jay moved the objects around. Iris would walk through the obstacle, distracting Wally and forcing him to learn how to avoid civilians. It was a little advanced, moving targets, but Wally took to it like a monkey did climbing. He really was something else. Iris even managed to drag Joan away from her knitting or sewing or whatever project it was, and get the older woman to walk the opposite way in the course.

Wally got faster.

He became a blur, dancing around his aunt and Joan. He was delighted, that laughter returning to the air. He was born for this. The boy would run around them, letting the currents from the air whip their hair, sometimes causing Iris's skirt to fly, but the two were happy. Joan's sun hat flew a few feet away, but Wally was catching it and placing it on her head before repeating the motion. He was thriving between the woman.

While he moved, Jay watched curiously. The kid had to decelerate to slow down, lest he'd crash into anything. He did crash once into the ground, resulting in a nasty scrape on his elbow, but no fractures or broken bones. The bruise was fading quickly, but slowly for a speedster. It was like Jay had predicted. He had zero control over his internal functions beyond matching it to Joan and Iris. While that bruise would have taken Barry a few minutes to get over, or himself an hour at most with his age, it took Wally three hours.

Just in time for Barry to return.

"Kid!" called Barry, racing out to grab his nephew in a tight hug, "I'm back! How'd you do?!"

"Itwaso_so_greatUncleB! AuntieIandGrandmaJoan_raced_withme! Ilappedthemat_housan_dtimes! Literally!"

"Moving bodies already?" asked an astonished Barry, glancing at Jay for confirmation.

"He's talented," beamed Jay.

"Can- Can we run now?!" asked Wally, finally managing to slow his rate to match Barry and Jay's relaxed version of speed-talk. But it still took too long.

"You sure you up for it?" asked Jay with a slight frown. He had worked the kid pretty hard today, a run might be stretching things.

"I'm_ positive_!" beamed Wally, but the plea evident in those green eyes of his.

"You can't run anywhere far from here without eye covers," said Barry sternly, "You'll go blind if anything hits you while you run at that speed."

"I'll put the mask-y stuff back in if we can just run," begged Wally.

"I got a better idea," said Jay, whipping into the radio shack and returning with a pair of goggles, "This'll do."

"Perfect," said Barry, as Wally tugged on the large, clunky goggles that were plastic, transparent and had a stupid green strap that clashed terribly with the red costume.

"Alright son, your call," said Jay, turning to Barry, "Where are we taking the kid?"

Barry grinned before turning to Wally and asking, "Ever wanted to visit a mountain range?"

"Yes!" gaped Wally, as Barry whizzed away and then returned in a second. The gates to the airport had opened.

Iris and Joan, both resting now in their chairs, turned to the scene, gaping and grinning as they realized what was occurring. Wally was buzzing with excitement, and Barry gave Iris a smile, pausing long enough for her to see his wave, and for Iris to give him a watery smile herself, before blowing both of them a kiss.

"Let's go to the mountains," said Barry, turning to the two others.

* * *

The run was like nothing Barry had ever experienced before. He'd ran with Jay a few times before, but it was quiet, contemplative. A peaceful union. This was different. Wally was between himself and Jay, the tiny red streak racing a little bit behind them as Barry directed the path. He'd mapped it out on his way here in his head. Barry's cowl had an in-built compass, so he always knew which was North and which way was West.

This was by no means as fast as any of the speedsters could run, but the distance wasn't that far. They were all too tired from their days to go above the seven hundred kilometer mark. The world around them was just an undefined blur. They ducked around the trees, the currents the created causing some leaves to be torn off and whip around behind them. Then they were heading out to an open, lonely highway. They had to dodge the occasional car, which was really just a minor blip in their sensory pathway. Wally was a little thrown the first few times a car came by, and Barry and Jay had to pull Wally out of the way, but by the time they were half-way through the run, Wally had figured it out on his own.

They were leaving a large air current with their combined force, causing winds to whip through the forest, startling birds, animals and humans alike. People blinked and would gossip for years to come about the red blurs they saw, claiming it was the Flash. They'd chalk it up to the Flash moving so fast that they were seeing him lap himself, for some ridiculous, urban myth. But right now, it didn't matter. Because three were moving as one, united in a sense of purpose, and yet weightlessness. This was freedom. This was the thing that connected them from their very cores.

And they were laughing.

It was completely infectious, as Barry let the laughs rip from his throat. Celebrating a sense of unity, a sense of holiness that only could be attained through speed. Celebrating the fact that he wasn't alone in this special world only he could access. He heard Jay's deep chuckle beside him, and the high-pitched giggles of his nephew. They were running together. And it was amazing. The only thing in the blurs of colors were Jay and Wally, both beside him. Both moving as superfluously as he did, cutting through the air, feet pounding on the asphalt, on the grass, then on asphalt again. They were winding through trees, chasing each other in a perfect line. It was euphoria.

Bliss.

Barry saw their location first, and stopped immediately. Wally wasn't that lucky, and he sped forward a few steps, before crashing to the ground. Barry was by his side in seconds, Jay already hovering over the younger boy.

He had fallen over a rock, about the size of a helmet, and split open his lip and lower leg. Barry saw the blood slipping through the costume and immediately panicked.

"Are you okay?" gasped Barry, but Wally brushed him aside.

Barry felt a little hurt, and then he saw Wally's face. The boy's jaw was dropped, staring with wide eyes and shock at the world before him. Barry turned, and placed a hand on Wally's shoulder as he sat down beside the fallen boy. Jay was already seated, holding Wally's hand.

Before them was grey stone, with pine trees dotting along the rocky edges. At the immediate front was a river that was a blue-grey that matched Barry's eyes. The sun was still in the air, illuminating the white-capped peaks of the mountains before them, that rose to the heavens. The air was warm, and a slight breeze moved across their faces. It was majestic, silent and peaceful. Calming after their run.

Barry sat there with Jay and Wally in silence for a long time, admiring the view. It was by no means the most fabulous site he'd ever seen, considering his experience with international travel and seeing space itself on a weekly basis, but it was theirs. A common link. A common memory. Wally slid his head onto Jay's shoulder, reaching out to grab Barry's hand in his tiny one. Barry beamed at his nephew, and then let himself close his eyes, and just be.

Bliss.

"Time to go," said Jay, the first to return to reality, "Joan and Iris are waiting for us."

"We forgot the camera," said Wally suddenly, "How are Auntie Iris and Grandma Joan going to see this place? We should have brought them!"

"It's okay," said Barry firmly, still riding on that sense of beauty and wonder, "We'll take something back for them. A souvenir."

Wally glanced curiously at Barry, and then at Jay, before cautiously asking, "What do we take?"

"Whatever you want," said Barry encouragingly, "Take anything. What do you want to remember most?"

To Barry's surprise, and slight displeasure, Wally picked up the rock he'd tripped on. Apparently it was something to remember.

"Because it was what stopped me," explained Wally, "I was so caught up in running, and then you stopped so I got confused and then I tripped on this because I wasn't paying attention. And it reminds me of both running and stopping. Is that okay?"

"It's perfect," said Barry, ruffling the red hair, "It's perfect."

That night, after they got home, Barry brought out a large box and helped Wally place the rock, that he'd explained to Iris and Joan, and the goggles into the box. Memories. He tucked his nephew in after checking that his wounds had healed. Thankfully they were only flesh wounds. He sat at his nephew's bedside for a long time. The rock had suddenly grown on him. Because it was exactly that. A memory of running and stopping.

* * *

That night, after their run, Barry spoke with Iris. He told her everything he'd talked to Dinah about, and the Friday night dinner offer. He also mentioned what he and Jay were hypothesizing, and what it could mean for Wally. Iris listened, sweet and open and loving the entire time. Then, after what felt like an eternity of him talking, she talked.

"I think meeting with Dinah would be a good thing," said Iris slowly, "I don't know much about Speedy beyond a few interviews of his I've seen, but he seems responsible and mature. But, are you sure he'll be okay spending time with Wally?"

"He hangs out with Robin," countered Barry, "What could be so different?"

"He and Robin spend time together as heroes, and you even said it wasn't often since Oliver and Batman don't like each other," pointed out Iris, "Besides, we don't know what his relationship with Robin is like. And at the end of the day, Speedy is a teenager, and Wally is only twelve. Are you sure he'll be up to entertaining a twelve-year-old on his Friday night?"

"He seemed curious enough about Wally," said Barry stubbornly, "And Ollie can be annoying, sure, but Speedy's a good kid."

"I suppose it wouldn't be too bad then," said Iris with a nod, a small smile on her lips, "And I think he'd be happy to meet more heroes. Who else do you want to introduce to him?"

"I'm not sure, Superman maybe?" asked Barry wildly.

"Superman?" asked Iris, a little amused.

"Well, c'mon, it's Superman. What kid doesn't want to meet Superman?" asked Barry.

"I'm not saying no," said Iris, "But I thought the point was to get him used to heroes he'd see often. What about Ralph and Sue? They're in Brazil right now, but I bet they'd love to meet Wally as Elongated Man and his wife, and we see them whenever they're in town."

"Hal wants to introduce him to John Stewart," added Barry, "Since the two Lanterns hang out often, and Hal thinks John could use a larger social life."

"So Ralph and John then?" asked Iris with a nod.

"I guess for now we can work with those two," said Barry, "Well, depending on how well Friday goes."

"Get some sleep, you have work tomorrow and the later you get in, the later you'll be out," said Iris gently, and then they turned off the lamp and went to sleep.

That night, Barry dreamed of running, laughter and unity.

* * *

Review Replies:

runwithanime: Heee, yep :) I'm pretty sure he is the strongest Flash, there are plenty of references in the comics, and he was the one to first be able to manipulate the speed force into a costume. Not to mention he's also the fastest, or was. It's why I went that route and decided to make Wally's powers seem different yet the same. I'm not sure if I'm going to work the mental block into my story, but I did love it when he overcame it. I thought so too! Or it would be like the Anti-Monitor situation and he'd come back and be like, ha, I'm fast too and Barry and Bart would cuddle him. And then he was gone from the New 52. My psyche just can't deal with this disappointment. I don't mind Superman, actually, but I love to insult and screw with him in my works, but I do adore him, so it's sort of weird.

As for his questionable friends, it's so true! Even Cold likes Wally, and he_ hated_ Barry. And that makes me want to write that scene. I totally will. Eventually. Or maybe in another fic. But it sounds too perfect. And yes, I'm going to list which prompts I fill, but once I actually finish writing them.

irenerb: Love Hal 3

Lesbianmagari: I love writing the training scenes, especially since now he's going to have to work backwards and all the training went to waste lol :P And they did eventually get their run!

MythologyGirl: I love GA/Gl/Flash combos! Be it Hal/Barry/Ollie or Kyle/Wally/Connor. But I have not seen any of either as slash, a few as friendship on the latter though. And that's totally awesome :P I can totally see Barry trying to get them to dress in costume to get in Christmas spirit and Ollie just shutting it down entirely. And I didn't go too into Wally because this was more about the run and Ollie being nice for once.

Yuu101cutie: Yep, it is different. He can also manipulate the speed of objects around him. If you want a really awesome Flash-origin-AU story that focuses on the differences in Wally and Barry, I recommend Genesis of a Speedster by Aggie Deneys, it's fabulous. And I have no clue about the training, I'm making it up on my own. And yeah, the show lacked a lot of fluffy moments. There is absolutely no Barry/Wally interaction. Seriously. Bart gets to hug Barry, Wally doesn't even get that much :/ It's just soo off, because they're supposed to be so close and loving and we see none of that. Not sure if there's some bonding in the comics, but I hope so. And yeah, at least Bats wasn't there. He was at the Watchtower monitoring the situation and being all batman-y. I hated interrupting their training, but it was important for this part of the plot. And yeah, Bats is being nice (or is he?). And thank you! I'm glad the training is coming across well! As for the ages, Wally is twelve right now, Roy is fifteen, Robin is ten, and Kaldur is fourteen (but Kaldur may not even enter the story). And Pokemon has so many age and continuity issues that I really don't bother. Plus, after like, season 3 or 4 when Brock and Misty are both gone and they have more pokemon than you can count, it got too hard to keep up so I dropped the series.

Grayson3: Those are all some great suggestions! I will mention who gave the idea, it's only fair to give the due credit. And I love replying to reviews. Sometimes I get ideas while writing to a person, and I just enjoy the conversation. As for slash, even in the story itself, it's not major. It's just really minor. Like, it's barely hinted at and there may be one kiss in the last chapter if and when I figure out the pairing. And being a hero sucks. You have so many responsibilities and how the hell do they keep a job with all the vacation time they need for injuries or missions? As for all the suggestions, again, I may be a bit iffy with the Bruce ones because I haven't introduced him fully yet, but I won't be posting the Request fics until next week probably, so we'll see. Otherwise, Thank you for reviewing and for all the wonderful suggestions! And no worries on length, I write pretty lengthy replies too ;)

hoot17: Thank you! And I got a lot of positive feedback on the dodgeball part, so I'm glad that went over well. And yeah, life sucks for Barry. Oh well, things are starting to get better (Or are they?)


	14. Again a not real chapter

**Hiatus Announcement: **

**I'm going on a temp. Hiatus to sort out my writing. I've gotten really behind, and this sucks and all, but it's only going to last about two weeks (Three maximum) and I need a little breather to sort out plot and just work out some kinks. Honestly, I'm just really stuck on where to go with 'Enough' after introducing the Arrow family. I have like, Point A, and like a Point B, but no transition stuff. I know this sucks, but I'm so far behind, and I still have school work that needs attention. I'm sorry about this. **

**The request fics are still going to be filled, and posted in the mean-time. I'm almost done the Bat-Clan requests, but until then, this is my warning for why there will be no posts. I'm still reachable by PM, and that's that. **

**Love**

**Sunny-Donna (who hopes to be back soon)**


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: Don't Own YJ**

**So, first things first. The story resumes on Wednesday~! **

**Second, er, well, I have a Tumblr account now, so feel free to send me requests or questions about the plot there. **

**Link: sunny-donna. tumblr **

**Just take the spaces out of the link**

**Third, Wally of the Bat-Clan will return much later (after a week) because unlike Enough, I was entirely devoted to writing the request fics over the actual plot, whereas with Enough I got so caught up in plot that I forgot the request fics. **

**Furthermore, all requests with Robin, Batman and Roy were purposely shoved off for a different time because, well, I don't really want to describe them until I introduce them to the main plot and reference how they met and stuff. Be as it were, I had fun with this, and I hope you guys enjoy the stories! **

* * *

**Request Fics: Enough**

**Requested by GodComplex: **

It was the anniversary of that day. The whole house was silent, thinking about what it meant. Barry had requested a sick leave from the League to avoid the festivities that preceded the day. Because two days after the League anniversary, things would be morose at home.

"We can't just let him simmer in it," said Hal firmly, "He's got every right to be upset, but that doesn't change the fact that he can't keep dwelling on it."

"You know the word dwell?" asked Oliver, looking stunned.

"Fuck you," said Hal easily, but Barry ignored them both as he ate his burger in the Watchtower cafeteria.

"Look, I'm not the expert with horrible anniversaries," said Oliver seriously, "But no matter what you do, the kid is going to be thinking about it. So don't try and distract him."

"I know that," said Barry with a sigh, "I just- He deserves better."

"Everyone deserves something," said Hal wisely, "But you don't always get it."

"Seriously, who the fuck is this?" asked Oliver, staring at Hal again.

"Fuck you twice," said Hal, glaring at Ollie through his mask.

"If you two are quite done," said Barry with a raised eyebrow, "What should I do? He didn't even talk about it after the incident last year. Just shut everyone out."

"He likes to run," said Hal with a shrug, "Take him running. Whenever I think about the worst stuff in life, I fly."

"Yeah," said Barry with a nod, "Running shouldn't be too bad. Where do we go?"

"Just run behind a cloud or something. The point is to run," said Ollie, before suddenly asking, "Can you run with clouds, or is that too slow for a speedster?"

"It's too slow," said Hal automatically.

"Actually," said Barry with a thoughtful look, "If you factor in the land and water masses to be crossed, it might not be that slow. But the clouds are a stupid idea, no offence Ollie. What about the sun? We could plot the sun's path across the world."

"The kid mastered water-running?" asked Hal in surprise.

"You're such a sap," said Ollie with a dropped jaw, "God, no wonder Iris likes you. Teach me how to be a sap."

"Still getting the hang of it," said Barry with a shrug, ignoring Ollie completely, "But if I'm with him, it shouldn't be too bad, right? He can swim now."

"I'll come with you," said Hal immediately, "I can create a path, and fly overhead. Wally won't drown that way and we won't need the Atlanteans on watch for him."

"Sounds like a plan then," said Oliver with a nod, "You could always swing by Star if you'd like some food."

"Are you paying?" asked Hal eagerly.

"Pay for yourself, Jordan," said Ollie brusquely, "I'm feeding the kid and Barry."

"Ass-hood," said Jordan, and the two returned to their happy bickering while Barry started to map out the route.

* * *

It was due to a mid-afternoon lunch conversation that Wally found himself dressed in costume and on his way to god knows where. All he really wanted to do was stay in his room today. It wasn't healthy. Jay had tried to talk him out being upset by training until Wally couldn't feel his arms anymore. Robin had offered to invite him to Gotham, despite not knowing the entire details of Wally's sudden bout of depression. He was just too miserable to care about their worry.

It was, after all, a year since that day.

"So where are we going then?" asked Wally uneasily, staring at Hal and Barry, both looking too chipper for the early evening run they were partaking in.

"For a run around the world," said Barry with a chuckle, "Ready?"

He'd already raced around the world. Twice. Once on his birthday, with the older speedsters. The second time was after his debut when school ended, and they'd taken a different route. The world was too large to map in a day. Or two. Or even three.

"Where to?" asked Wally curiously. He liked seeing the world, it was a distraction. It made him feel small and insignificant in a way only his parents had before, but different too. Like running, except instead of the world being small and useless, it was him. It had always been him.

"We're going to head North first," said Barry easily, "Up to Alaska. Icebergs are great to watch this time of the year. Then we're headed to Russia. From there we'll swing through Asia, down to the Gate of India, before running North to the Middle East, the Black Sea. Stop by the Berlin Wall in Germany, maybe head to Cardiff or Glasgow, and then run through to the Gulf of Mexico and then zeta home."

"Isn't that a bit much for an entire day?" asked Wally, eyes wide.

"It's a little much," agreed Hal, "But that's the point. We're going to get trashed and then Iris can massage our feet while we watch a movie."

"Don't let Iris hear you say that," said Barry with a chuckle.

"Shall we head out?" asked Hal firmly, grinning at Barry and Wally.

"Yeah," said Wally with a shaky nod, "Guess we should.

* * *

Alaska was beautiful. They'd stopped, despite Wally still having energy. The sun had started to set in Alaska, or maybe it was rising. Wally wasn't too sure what the time was in Alaska, were they behind or ahead of Central? He would have asked, but it was so serene and quiet.

The world was white. A blank slate. Ice went as far as Wally could see. He was getting better at ice running, though not at good at Uncle Barry who switched surfaces like it was nothing. But that didn't matter. Because the world was _white_.

Except for the golden dust shimmering on the edges, lighting the alabaster icebergs up, to make them sparkle, gleam. The backdrop was a bright orange, fiery. Almost as though this was a battle-field, from a long time ago. The frozen ice statues were marble warriors, battalions. He could make out a hand in the ice block, trying to reach out, trying to escape the madness. Yet it was all so serene. The ground below him was solid. The metaphor was just that, metaphor. Or was he the metaphor?

It said a lot about his state of mind that he didn't think he was real today. Or at least, that his reality wasn't important.

A hand clapped to his shoulder.

"Shall we go?" asked Hal, looking concerned.

"Yeah," said Wally, tearing his eyes away from the battalions stretching from the ground, bathed in gold dust, with a bloody sky.

* * *

The next place they stopped, after running across the bloody cold waters of the Bering Strait and through Hal's path that he flew ahead to make, creating the world's largest glowing green bridge that mimicked the San Francisco Golden Gate. By the time they arrived somewhere in the middle of Russia, they stopped outside a farm.

It was a barren, pathetic farm. The sun was obviously rising here as farmers roused from their sleep to start tilling the field. They paid no mind to the three heroes perched on the hill above them, watching the sunlight splash over them. It was cloudy, probably going to rain today, so the sun hardly cracked over them much.

But they were so whimsical. Like the perfect American musical, or Fiddler on the Roof but the Russian edition, as they sang in Russian and rolled out their tools in a giant wheelbarrow. The darkness of the scene contrasted with their bright moods. It was gloomy, boring, but beautiful.

Hal and Barry were chatting as they watched the farmers, plotting the route. But Wally could only watch. The pathetic farm resembled skin with some kind of disease. The ground was smooth, a little bumpy, with wheat hairs rising from it. The grass was yellow, the wheat yellow. And the farmers like fleas running around, working away and being generally annoying and Wally found himself apathetic to their cause entirely.

It was strangely calming. To feel nothing. To think nothing. To just watch the farmers trickle like fleas between arm hairs of the Earth.

They were gone without a word.

* * *

If there was anything to be said about India, it was the grime. Even at the Gate of India, there was grime everywhere. The roads were dirty, the water was a blackish, grey-blue, probably from pollution. The buildings, though majestic and colonial, were stained at the ground, and as the light rose onto them, they looked like a leftover remnant of the empire that once stood.

People milled about. This was the first place bleeding with life that suddenly mattered because they were absolutely inconsequential. The Indians didn't notice them at all.

Wally was less interested in the sun illuminating the empire, the ocean, or the roads. He found the sunlight on the people more interesting. One dark-skinned man stood over his motorbike, preparing for deliveries. The sunlight light up his cheeks, displaying the gauntness, highlighting his grimy clothing, and yet, he took no notice of how unflattering he appeared. How unimportant to the sun. The sun didn't care that the man was ugly. Nobody did.

A beautiful man stood outside the Taj hotel, waiting for a rather plain woman. The woman was dressed in western clothing, the sun not really doing much for her round plump face, or her short figure, but not really diminishing her either as she yelled at the man.

He was her servant.

The sun absolutely emblazoned him. The gold light was the finest foundation on his dark skin, making him seem ethereal and godly. He wore merely a button down shirt as he loaded her car, his arms rippling as he lifted her suitcases, probably to take her to the airport. The man was shining. But he was just a driver in a poor country and completely unimportant to the history embedded here. The Taj hotel, the Gate of India, none of it affected him. He was a beautiful man that would never be more than a driver in life. No hand of fate had intervened. No science in the world could help him. He just was.

It was strange.

"What are you thinking kid?" asked Flash, looking curious, but otherwise rather blank as Hal returned with some street-side sandwiches that were spicy with chutney, and yet cool to eat with cucumber and tomato and cheese in the middle. Wally chewed and swallowed, his usual speed of disgusting, but thoughtful and unhurried.

"Nobody really matters much, do they?" asked Wally aloud, and the two adults traded worried looks over Wally's head as he watched the man drive the woman away.

"Why do you say that kid?" asked Barry, concerned.

"It just, doesn't," said Wally, unable to explain, "But nothing is really important."

"Not really kid," said Hal stoically, "But we still have to try, don't we?"

"Yeah," said Wally with a nod, "Yeah we do."

* * *

The Black Sea was far more beautiful than the Indian Ocean. It was glittery and shimmery and completely abandoned. Hal had made a little raft and they were seated in said raft, watching the sun reflect off the waters as they sat in the boat.

"This is stupid," said Wally, unable to find an appropriate philosophical thought about the ocean.

It just was. There was nothing more to it. It just was.

"You think so?" asked Hal with a chuckle, "That's why we're here, isn't it? Because everything is stupid."

Wally had no comment about that.

* * *

The Berlin Wall was skipped due to the traffic and reporters that had arrived out of nowhere after seeing the Flash. They seemed to think somebody was attacking said Wall. Hal had talked them down, almost created an international incident, and agreed that Batman could handle the rest.

They instead headed to a small cafe near the Danube in Hungary. It was uncrowded, and the man had been more than thrilled to open the doors for them when he saw the costume and Uncle Barry waved quickly. Coffee was served to Hal, and danishes, scones and tarts for the speedsters. Nothing Hungarian at all. It was kind of funny, but the man wasn't Hungarian himself. He was Dutch.

The sun shone into their window here, delicately setting off the vase in the middle of the table, the cutlery and Hal's cup. Making them shine. It was strangely the weirdest place to think of home, but Wally did. He thought of his parents, and his dad drinking coffee when he was younger.

"I need some air," he said suddenly, standing up and feeling sick, "Let's go."

They left, Barry and Hal staring at him in worry.

* * *

After the disastrous moment of contemplation in Hungary, in god only knows what city, they arrived at the Gulf of Mexico. The sun was rising here, and Wally found he could finally breathe. They were too far away from gleaming cups to be thinking of anything.

"Where are we?" asked Hal aloud.

"Somewhere foresty," said Barry, indicating the forest backdrop, filled with unknown horrors.

Wally had just run, thoughtless of direction beyond what Hal set up, just barely directing the group. The boy flumped down on the beach, staring up at the clouds. This was the first time he'd really looked at the clouds of wherever they headed too. He could faintly see the moon, glowing in the background as a perfect crescent. The sun had barely brushed away the dark blue of the night.

"Why are we running?" asked Wally suddenly as he stared at the dark blemishes ruining the starry night, or well, disappearing starry night.

"Thought you could take a day," said Barry sitting down beside Wally. "Can you?"

"No," said Wally, feeling small and useless and it_ hurt_. He had spent all year trying to escape that feeling that crept up when he was alone, the feeling of failure, betrayal, disappointment, of worthlessness. This was the exact opposite of that. This was like some kind of taunt.

"What's the matter kid? You love running," said Hal, sitting down on the sand beside Wally, reaching out to pet his head.

"I like running," said Wally automatically, "Just- I don't like stopping."

"Why?" asked Barry curiously, "Those were some amazing sights today. Hal even took a picture of Alaska."

"I just- It doesn't matter!" exploded Wally, "None of this matters. Why doesn't it matter?! It should- but nobody cared. Nobody. They just- they just were."

"You make not a lick of sense," said Hal easily, as Wally sat up, brushing the sand off his head and feeling utterly useless.

"None of those people- They don't- Everything- It was-

"Do you want to head home? We can call Jay and Joan over, Sue and Ralph said she might stop by next week, so Iris will want some help cleaning the guest room," said Barry, trying to distract Wally.

"I- Do you think I'll ever matter?" asked Wally suddenly, sounding broken and small like Barry hadn't seen since after his accident.

"Course you matter," said Hal fiercely, "Don't you get it? We took you to all those places because you matter kid. Because we wanted you to see it."

Wally stared at Hal, and then he broke down. Barry was holding him as he bawled, sobbing unintelligibly into his Uncle's arms as he let himself be cradled and loved, holding his Uncle with the fierceness that only a speedster could feel, as time trickled on forever. Hal had stepped away, letting the two envelop themselves, letting them naturally allow their speed to make all things unimportant. Just them in their universe.

Hal never questioned what they spoke about, what Barry said. They simply returned home to Iris waking up. Wally slept through most of the day, as did Barry and Hal too. Wally got a picture of the sun rise in Alaska when he woke up the next day. The bloody battlefield was tucked into his wallet. A remembrance on the bad days that to someone, he was enough.

* * *

**Requested by Grayson3:**

Barry wasn't sure what brought this on. He was usually pretty calm and collected, he usually planned things out. Iris had only just met Jay and Joan. She'd only just solved the mystery of his disappearances, and she had only just started to acclimatize herself to the fact that Hal was Green Lantern, that the Dibny's were actually filthy rich and not Barry's old college pal and his wife, that any and everyone that Barry knew was probably living a double life and that he'd lied to her for the majority of their relationship.

By all reason, she should have left him.

And here he was, down four grand, and staring at the receipt in front of Hal and Oliver, who looked just as incredulous as he felt.

"Barry," said Oliver sternly, "You have to return that thing. For one, how the fuck can you afford it?"

"I can't," said Barry, a little hysterical, "I just-

"Lost your head," supplied Hal, sounding entirely amused as he passed Barry a bottle of some strong whiskey. The only thing strong enough to stay abuzz in his system for an hour and get him reasonably drunk to forget this horrible moment.

"Don't touch that," said Ollie, taking the bottle from Barry, meeting very little resistance, "You're already out of your mind. Did a Rogue slip you something? I swear that Top guy is a loon, he's probably on something. God they're all fucking nuts. It's the water in Central, isn't it? Did you drink too much of it?"

"Oh c'mon," said Hal with a chuckle, "By the end of the night he might buy the two of them a house and car and two point five kids with a little less sobriety."

"Oh my god," said Barry, suddenly looking up in a daze, "I want to marry Iris."

Both his friends stared at him, looking completely taken aback. Just like how Barry felt. He wanted to marry Iris. He wasn't sure which word in that sentence needed to be emphasized more. Marriage. Commitment. Lifelong. Iris. He.

"Are you telling me you bought the fucking ring without thinking about what it meant?!" roared Oliver, slamming the ring down on the table and popping open the lid.

Barry hissed, as though he was being burned by the brightness of the stone. It was a simple white gold diamond engagement ring. It had a princess cut, square diamond lobbed in the center with blue flecks when the light it hit a certain way. Pushing the stone up were two, smaller diamonds. It was pretty, elegant, simple, classic. A half carat stone with of the finest value.

"I want to marry Iris," repeated Barry, staring at the horror that he'd purchased for four grand. Four thousand smackeroonies. He wasn't going to be able to pay rent. He almost burst into hysterical giggles. Or maybe tears.

"Maybe you were bewitched," said Hal thoughtfully, "I hear Batman has a guy who can fix that. Do you feel bewitched?"

"I don't- I think- I think I want to marry Iris," said Barry in shock.

"You fucking idiot," said Oliver with a glare, "Cops. I swear to god, the coffee and donuts probably got to your brain, and considering the amount of sugar you take in that coffee I'm not surprised."

"He sounds bewitched," said Hal with a nod, "I'll text Bats and let him know. He'll probably drop out of the vent because this is a threat to his security, with probably some contingency plan in hand."

"You have Batman's cell number?" asked Ollie, distracted from Barry's shocked revelation.

"God no," said Hal easily, "I'm pretty sure I ended up on his watch list and he's tracking my texts."

"Oh Hal," said Ollie with a sigh, "You aren't special. He watches everyone."

* * *

It was thus, with a heavy heart and a little too much amusement, that the trio zetaed to Brazil, the current location of one Ralph and Sue Dibny, and coincidentally, the only married couple that the trio knew who worked the superhero gig. If Barry was serious, Ollie concluded, he needed to go to an expert.

The Dibny's were entirely welcoming and understanding on the matter. They welcomed Barry into the house, Sue made them tea and then the three were seated in the living room on Sue's white leather couch overlooking the sea, despite it being three in the morning.

"So what brings you to Brazil?" asked Ralph, his voice booming and slightly nasally, but otherwise, friendly and welcoming as ever.

"Barry wants to marry Iris," announced Hal, grinning ear to ear as Sue gave a high-pitched, girlish squeal.

"He bought a ring," said Oliver, holding it out uncertainly to Ralph. He didn't know the Dibny's as well as Barry, and not even on the same terms as Hal and Ralph.

"Oh my goodness! It's fabulous! A half carat but of fabulous cut and clarity, isn't it?" asked Sue, chattering away as she eyed the ring, "The blue tint is perfect for Iris! It'll suit her skin tone, and when she stands beside you it'll match perfectly with your eyes and highlight how wonderful you two are together. Oh it's marvelous Barry! You must have put a lot of thought into purchasing this!"

"He bought it on a whim and realized afterwards that he wanted to marry Iris," said Ollie blandly.

"Well," said Ralph, orange eyebrows flying up on his thin face, "That's- impulsive. I never took Barry Allen for being so- er- jumpy."

"I didn't- I mean- I don't know what I'm going to do," said Barry helplessly, "Do I propose?"

"You can't just propose on a whim," said Sue, closing the ring box, and staring at Barry with a careful glare, "Marriage is very serious Barry, and if you're planning to propose, you have to be certain. Obviously you want to, but do you really want to?"

That was the wisest thing Ollie had ever heard Sue say. Usually she was keeping Ralph from making innuendos while simultaneously adding lighthearted cheer to a room with her slightly- very- girly and peppy nature. Wise Sue was strange and alien, like Barry buying a ring. Jesus Christ.

"Where's the apocalypse when you need it?" he muttered to Hal, who snorted.

"How did Ralph propose?" asked Hal easily.

Immediately Sue's whole face lit up, and she beamed at her husband as she said, "He contorted his entire body into the words will you marry me on my front lawn. It was just a normal day until he blew me away with those words."

"And then I contorted myself in an entirely different manner to celebrate," said Ralph with a grin, though it was not the least bit lewd, and rather, it was filled with love as the two exchanged sickeningly sweet smiles. This was why Ollie was never getting tied down to a woman.

"That's helpful," said Hal with a nod, "So Barry, can you contort yourself?"

"Oh!" said Sue, suddenly returning to her slightly ditzy state as she remembered their presence, "So are you proposing then? Because if you are, I need to start shortlisting wedding venues."

"I- I bought the ring on a whim," said Barry with a heavy sigh, "I don't know what it means."

"Barry," said Ralph gently, "I think you know what it means."

The entire room stared at Barry, and then he let out a shaky breath as he said, "I- I think I'm getting married. Any advice?"

"Oh brilliant!" said Sue, clapping her hands together as she hugged Barry tight. "It's wonderful, marriage. And if anyone deserves to be happily married, it's you Barry."

"And just for you Barry, I'll pay for the honeymoon. Make it worth going through the wedding and the in-laws entirely," said Ralph happily.

In the corner of the room, Hal and Ollie made disgusted expressions at the idea of commitment while pouring the champagne to toast Barry's decision.

* * *

Despite Ollie and Hal's affliction towards commitment, the two were surprisingly helpful to Barry's plight. Ollie paid his rent, and as soon as Barry finished working double shifts this month, he'd be able to pay Ollie back in full. The more important aspect of his life, however, was the proposal itself.

Sue and Ralph had been a hindrance and a help in that regard. Between Hal and Ralph's awful vibrator jokes, and Ollie and Sue's insistence that the proposal cost his entire yearly salary, the group had been a headache. However, in the end, and a bottle of champagne later, and three for Barry, they'd come to an agreeable solution. And Barry swore to god he was never letting them help him again.

The idea had really been a result of talking to Ralph and Sue after Hal and Ollie headed out to grab some more champagne.

"You know Barry," said Sue, looking thoughtful, "It's a really good thing you've decided to get married, but isn't it a bit soon, what with Iris only knowing the situation for two months now?"

"I don't think it matters Sue," said Ralph, surprising both Barry and Sue by interjecting, "If Iris is willing to stay with Barry as Barry, and as the Flash, then I don't think we can judge them."

"What do you mean as Barry and the Flash? They're the same guy," said Barry, feeling the buzz still from the champagne.

"No they aren't," said Ralph seriously, "I'm Ralph Dibny, and I'm the Elongated Man. Neither have any connection, beyond inhabiting the same body and being excellent at pleasing the missus."

"Ralph!" said Sue sharply, but she was giggling, her cheeks a little flushed from the alcohol.

"But they are both parts of who I am," said Ralph, grinning as he wrapped an arm around Sue, "And that's what matters. That's probably the most important thing about marriage Barry, for guys like us. The missus has to be able to handle the idea of being married to two men, not one. And she has to know that one or both of those men won't be able to devote his life to her. Just his heart. If she can handle that, then by gods wrap yourself around her and never let her go."

"Oh Ralph," said Sue, sounding sobered and touched as she leaned into his arm, as he wrapped it several times around her waist and then kissed her on the top of her head.

Barry stared at Ralph, entirely amazed at his words. Ralph wasn't known for being philosophical. Those words resounded in Barry, and that was how he found himself doing this. Really, it was the simplest way to make things real.

Hal and Ollie had helped him work out the final details, and now he was here. Iris had received a call from her boss, telling her to go to the Central PD's forensic department to meet with one of the officers to discuss a very important case with an important officer. Barry had specifically worded it that way to attract Iris's attention and maintain a level of mystery.

Oliver had hacked the security feeds to ensure that nobody saw anything. This was, after all, a private moment. He was wearing an expensive navy suit with a red tie, one Sue had emphasized at the rental store.

"Barry?" asked Iris, looking surprised as she walked into the lab. Barry's lab.

Barry was standing at his lab bench, looking through the microscope. His nerves were thrumming, and it was only the knowledge that he was going to have to explain how the suit caught on fire to the rental place that kept him from burning a hole through it.

"Iris," he said, standing up, the lab coat hiding the suit, and smiling at her. He sped over to her, and she gasped. He never used speed in the lab, after all.

She looked beautiful. Like she'd just been on television, judging from the pale green blouse, and dark brown skirt. Her hair was pulled back. Her lips were a shiny pink. He kissed those lips, hard and passionate, trying to share his love for her. Iris responded in kind, kissing him back with the same fervor, before they parted.

"What on earth are you up to Barry Allen?" she asked, sounding a bit breathless.

"Hi," he said, ignoring the question as his eyes crinkled and he smiled down at her.

"Hello," she laughed, arching a ginger brow at him over those amazing green eyes.

"Come here," he said, tugging her to the store-room at the end of the lab.

She followed, trotting behind him until they were in the dark store-room. Above them was a bulb, the only source of light. His lab coat was open now, and she was staring at his suit, trying to make sense of it as he stared at the chemical display in front of him. They weren't the chemicals from his experiment. These were harmless, really just solutions made to look bubbly and fancy. One such solution was really just champagne.

"What are these?" asked Iris, still thinking this was a case, albeit a very extraordinary one.

"The day I came back here, I had a box with me and flasks. I was just rearranging the waste products, organizing them, when through the window, there was this bolt of lightning." Outside the window, Hal's ring produced a green strike of lightning, far in the distance as Barry held her hand, holding Iris beside him as she stared out the window, surprised. She had gone quiet, trying to process what was occurring, and probably concluding this had nothing to do with work.

"I wanted to head home," he said with a small smile, "I mean, it was late, and I had just spent a day going through an exhausting case. The murder of the Grimsby children. Three kids, all slaughtered ruthlessly by their father." His face fell, remembering the horror of finding those bodies, trying to determine what killed them. Realizing that they had probably fought their father back, realizing that the father was mixing drugs and that he'd been out of his mind when he'd burnt his children with battery acid. His stomach still churned thinking about that case.

Iris stroked his cheek, knowing how those murders affected him. They were, after all, the first case he'd solved as the Flash. He'd told her all about it later on, much later on. Tearing away from those horrible memories, he focused on Iris, on her solid presence, and how wonderful and strong she was.

"That case," he said, focusing on Iris and not the bodies hovering in his eyes, "It was wearing on me. I just couldn't figure out how those kids had died, and the father had OD'd so we didn't know where to pin the blame because he had supposedly died before the kids. It was- horrible. I was so out of it, just shifting things around. I hadn't slept in a week, and I hadn't eaten for fourteen hours because I just needed more _time_. And then magic happened."

The green light flashed through the window, surrounding the two of them, and Iris cried out in shock. The light flashed on the chemicals, and Iris gasped as they changed color, glowing florescent, seeming to burn and bubble and churn. Then everything went dark. And it was just Iris and Barry under the bulb.

"And then I became the Flash," he said, voice still strong as Iris gazed at him.

"And you solved the case," said Iris, smiling at him, and he grinned back as he nodded, "I solved the case. I solved lots of cases. I can't even remember the number now."

"Three hundred and one," said Iris easily, "I wrote articles for two hundred and ten of them, out of which fifty two were cold cases from the last ten years and considered unsolvable."

"You're amazing," said Barry, deviating from the script to kiss her again and lose his breath, before remembering that he had a plan. "Anyways," he flushed and looked away, before meeting her eyes and continuing to say, "Being the Flash, this room right here, this started it all. But I'm not just the Flash. I'm also Barry Allen, and I'm a cop. So I come back in this room a lot, and even though it was so monumental to being me, it had nothing to do with being me too. Barry Allen just works here. The Flash was born here. And I mean, for a long time, that was okay. But it was hard. I couldn't tell anyone about this room, about this moment, because it had nothing to do with me but it had _everything_ to do with me. You're the first person I've shared this room with."

Iris's eyes widened, and she squeezed Barry's hands, but she stayed silent. Her eyes were sparkling as she let him monologue about this.

"After the Grimsby case, and the cases that came after that, before you," said Barry, his voice starting to shake, "I used to have lots of nightmares. I used to tear into myself about it. And there was never any respite. Either I was solving murder as Barry Allen, or I was solving murder as the Flash. This room, sometimes I used to think it was a curse. It made me into a hero and gave me a responsibility that was wearing on me. But there are so many evil people out there, so many bad guys, and I became obsessed about getting them all. And it was really wearing on me. Hal and Ollie and Ralph, they became friends, but they had the same thing as I do, the same mission. And we don't see each other every day, or even every week. And they weren't- I mean-

"They didn't chase away the nightmares," said Iris softly, finding the words for Barry, who took a deep breath and nodded. Iris had tears filling her eyes.

"I can't give up being the Flash, not for anyone," said Barry softly, "And I can't give up being a cop. Even when it's frustrating. And that made dating and friendships hard. Nobody wants a man who can't keep still. And not many people can keep up with a speedster, who has the patience for a man like me."

"That's not true," said Iris automatically, their voices whispers now, as Iris stepped closer, and he brought his arms around her waist.

"It's very true. Speedsters are one in a billion," said Barry with a laugh, his throat clenching at the moment, at all the emotions he was feeling. "And you- You just work with it, and treat me like I'm just Barry. And you- you're patient, and loving, and kind. You stay with me, and wait for me, and I just- God Iris, I love you so so much. At the end of the day, when I stop being Barry Allen the cop, or the Flash, I want to leave this- this storeroom, and just go to you."

"Barry," said Iris, tears slipping from her eyes now, as she clapped a hand over her mouth.

"If I'm one in a billion, then god Iris, you're like, one in a trillion," said Barry firmly, despite the slight quaver in his hand as he reached into the suit, and pulled out the box. Iris gasped, and then choked on her sob, "And I want to spend the rest of my life running home to you."

"Yes! Yes!" said Iris, wrapping her arms around his neck before he could show her the ring, and then his lips were met by hers, and it was a promise and a connection all in one. He could taste the familiar sweetness that was Iris, the taste of her bitter coffee blended with something sweet and undefinable, as his tongue outlined hers. The ring fell from his hand to the ground. He suddenly understood what Ralph meant by the fireworks, because this was an explosion of their feelings, like a never before shared kiss. Every hesitancy about Iris leaving, every hesitancy about him leaving, or not being good enough, all of it was forgotten as he let himself just be, in this one kiss.

They pulled apart, gasping for breath, and then Iris gave a light laugh. And then he was laughing too. He bent down, onto his knee and plucked the ring up, propping the lid open as he said, "Will you marry me Iris West? All of me?"

"Gods Barry," said Iris, bending down beside him to let the ring slip on her finger, "Of course I will."

And she did.

* * *

**(Sort of) Requested by runwithanime:**

Hal was the last person that Iris trusted as a babysitter. But the options were limited, and Barry had sent him. Today she was covering the state elections, and while it wasn't her favorite thing to report, the two candidates all had different platforms, especially in regards to superheroes, and she was interested to interview the both of them prior to the electoral announcement.

The problem was that Rudy had been hospitalized after a car crash, and Mary had wanted Wally out of the way so she could dote on her husband. Ergo, Iris and Barry were babysitting.

"Hal's coming?" asked Iris blankly when Barry informed her of his substitute.

She'd met Hal a few times before. Wally had grown particularly attached to the man after their wedding. Iris thought he was a chauvinistic pig with a giant ego. But she also thought he was sweet, loyal and caring, and despite her issues with Hal, and her own exasperation, he was a rather sweet fellow, and she did like him, to a degree. But she didn't trust him around her nephew. At least, not alone.

"He'll be great Iris! You know Wally adores him, and vice versa," cajoled Barry, "And Hal is a superhero. And his brother recently got married. I hear she's expecting."

"How does the potential of Hal's sister-in-law having a child in any way affect his ability to babysit?" demanded Iris.

Unfortunately, Wally chose that precise minute to walk into the kitchen for breakfast. At ten, he was red-haired and still somewhat shorter than the other boys his age. He was still struggling to adapt to school and being with the older kids. As Hal had aptly put, he was the red-haired genius kid that everybody picked on. And it broke Iris's heart.

"Uncle Hal is coming over?!" His entire face lit up. He'd completely overheard her entire conversation, and who was she to deny him such a happy look. Especially when he looked at her like that.

"Yeah, Uncle Hal is coming over," said Iris with a sigh.

Resigned, Iris left Wally to a smiley Hal, with emergency numbers tucked into both pockets of her nephew's jeans and a threatening speech for the Green Lantern. As she left, she couldn't help but think that she'd made a bad decision.

* * *

Wally adored Hal. Hal was the coolest thing to grace the Earth since the Flash and Uncle Barry. And Uncle Hal adored superheroes too, just like Wally did. He was extremely knowledgeable about them. He had super defined opinions too.

"Batman's a fucker," said Hal with a snort, as they watched the news report, Wally buzzing with excitement, "He's a total jackass. You're better off not liking him. Wonder Woman's alright, she hits pretty hard though and she's not afraid to. Hot but terrifying, never a good combination for a relationship, but a great combination for when you're older and into that kind of thing. Aquaman's a stiff too. He's a nice dude, and his wife's hot, but he's so stiff and serious. Avoid him too but if you ever get in touch, politeness."

"How do you know so much?" asked Wally, amazed as he stared at the screen as they debated the merits of various heroes and the possibility of the heroes starting a team.

"I'm Hal," said Hal easily, "I know lots of stuff."

"Hey Uncle Hal," said Wally, sidling closer to his new second favorite uncle (Uncle Edgar would not be missed), "Do you think that y'know, I could be a hero someday?"

"Course you can kid," said Hal, ruffling his head, "I mean, the Green Lantern Corps is always hiring, and I know a guy who can put in a good word for you."

"You do?!" asked Wally, amazed, "How?"

"Because I'm Hal," said Hal with a grin, as Wally gazed at him reverently before asking in that chipper voice, "Do you think you can put a word in for me with the Flash?!"

Hal sighed, disappointed once again as he replied, "I'll look into it."

Satisfied, Wally turned his attention back to the screen as they began debating the merits of heroes such as Superman and Martian Manhunter and immigration laws. Why the kid enjoyed such mundane news reports baffled Hal, but overall, the kid was the easiest to babysit. Hopefully Jim's kids would be this simple. Speaking of which, he really should call Jim. It had been a month since they'd last spoken. Making the mental note to call Jim when he got home, Hal settled into his spot.

Until he heard the ring.

_"Where are you ya' stinkin' poozer!" _came Kilowog's booming voice, and Hal sat up, glancing at Wally, who hadn't heard anything, a benefit of the Ring's construct.

"I got to go to the bathroom kid," said Hal easily, "Just stay here."

Hal immediately escaped from the living room, not waiting allowing Wally a chance to say anything, and headed to the bathroom. Once he was barricaded inside, he concentrated his will-power to the ring, allowing it to relay his thoughts across to wherever Kilowog was.

_"What the hell is going on?" _demanded Hal immediately.

_"Oh good, Jordan we have reason to believe that __Kanjar Ro __may or may not have escaped to your location,"_ came the even and methodical voice of Salaak over the connection. _"__Kilowog, Arisia, __Ch'p__and __Tomar R__e__are on their__ way to apprehend him as we speak." _

_ "And why the hell are all of __them __coming?!" _demanded Hal over the connection.

_"Why do you think?" _retorted Salaak firmly, _"He escaped from __Tomar Re'__s __and __Ch'p__'s__ accompaniment Hal Jordan! And he seeks revenge against you, after all." _

_ "Look- Can you handle this without me? I'm kind of busy," _said Hal firmly.

_"No can do Hal! We're right outside your door!" _said Ch'p brightly and chirpily and oh fuck he was in such deep shit.

_"Wait!" _he called out, but it was too late.

The door outside the bathroom slammed open, just as Hal rushed out.

"Well let's get to it poozers!" boomed Kilowog, and Hal nearly fainted as he heard Wally's yell.

* * *

Hal was the quickest but _stupidest_ thinker he had ever known. The minute he heard Kilowog, he had used the ring knock Wally out. Barry was going to kill him. As Hal began to plot which planet was far enough way that Barry would never find him, the other members of the core were staring between the_ body _and Hal, completely stunned.

Inside Barry Allen's living room were three aliens, a Bolovaxian, a H'Ivenite, a Graxosian, and a Xudarling. The Bolovaxian was hulking and large, about nine feet tall easily, and with a large, hulking head as big as a disco ball that had two small, dog-like ears poking from the top, and a large mouth that was used to eat as much food as Barry, if not more. His skin was pink and his teeth sharp and pearly as he stared, lips (or at least, the opening of his mouth) pressed close together to hold in a breath. Hal had once thought Kilowog resembled a large, hulking pig. Then he'd thought of a dog. Now he was just a another member of the people from Bolovax Vik. Ch'p on the other hand, was comically tiny beside Kilowog. He was a quarter the size of Kilowog's head, and in fact, could probably live comfortably in Kilowog's mouth (if Kilowog didn't eat him). He resembled a chipmunk with brown fur and stature, with cat ears and fox-like face and tail.

Tomar Re was was older, older than Hal was for sure. He just reached Hal's shoulder, and oftentimes reminded Hal of a grumpy old man. If old men had beaks and a large fin resembling a mohawk on their heads, and were pure orange in color, distinctly like the beak of the ducks they resembled. Arisia was a lighter orange, with a glow to her skin, elven styled ears, and she was petite, resembling a fourteen year old girl, but Hal knew better. The people from Graxos VI grew fast to adulthood, and then lived long lives until sudden deaths struck them. Each year they would undergo a 'growth spurt' and within a day, Arisia would age another year, or two, or even three. If Tomar was old and grumpy, than Arisia was young and bright, like a little sister.

And the only thing tying such an eclectic group together was the ring on their hand or claw or paw, and the costume with it's emblem emblazoned along it, though Arisia wore a white shirt and skirt instead of a body suit.

"You- Is this an earth infant?" asked Arisia, amazed as she bounded over to the small _unconscious _boy, who really was only three or four years younger to the preteen herself, or possibly three to four years older. Hal didn't want to think about that right now.

"I was not aware you had entered fatherhood Jordan," said Tomar Re stoically, "Congratulations. I myself am a father, and young Tomar Tu is a promising lad indeed. I suppose any child of yours will be equally promising."

"What the heck is goin' on?" demanded Kilowog, looking deeply betrayed, his dark beady eyes widened as far as Hal had ever seen them go.

"I'm going to die," said Hal morosely, burrowing his head between his knees as he slumped onto the couch, "I'm going to be murdered in the fastest, bloodiest way possible. And that's if I'm lucky. He might just sick the wife on me."

"He is a rather ugly infant, but I suppose all earthlings are," continued Tomar Re, apparently ignoring Hal's distress, "And smaller than I anticipated earthlings to appear in infancy. He looks nothing like you. But I suppose he shall grow to look far more attractive to the human species and attract a wonderful partner as he grows."

"How old is he?" asked Ch'p quietly, looking betrayed in his diminished tiny stature, poking Wally's face as though he was some unnatural specimen. Arisia helpfully tacked on, "He can't be too old. He looks pretty tiny if you ask me. Is he a baby? Are all human babies this size?"

"He's not a baby," said Tomar Re with a nod, "Have you not read anything on humans Arisia? We work with two of the finest and their many friends on occasion. It's only natural to learn more about such a species."

"Then what is he?" asked Arisia curiously.

"I believe the term is juvenile," said Tomar Re conclusively.

"Jordan! Why didn' you tell us about the kid?!" demanded Kilowog, lumbering over Hal, using the impressiveness of his stature to look more threatening.

"He's not mine!" said Hal finally, coming out of his stupor, "He's Ba- The Flash's kid!" Not really, but close enough relationship that Hal didn't have to explain, "And he doesn't know all the details about my er, career choice."

"Why not? I thought you super earthlings shared stuff with each other." posed Ch'p, looking considerably less upset, "Hey where is Big Red anyway?"

"He's on a mission and I offered to baby-sit for his wife," said Hal, and the aliens nodded, probably translating baby-sit to whatever term was used on their planets, "And the kid doesn't know about heroes yet because he's er- too young."

"Well," said Arisia with a frown, "I guess that means he knows now."

"Is he like his dad? Fast?" asked Kilowog, looking appeased as well.

"He's his nephew, so they aren't identical," explained Hal, thinking morosely about how if he was fast Hal could have used Wally to escape. "Anyways, shouldn't you be out searching for Kanjar Ro?"

"This is your home planet Hal Jordan," said Tomar Re sternly, "Should you not be providing us direction?"

"Right," said Hal, running a hand through his hair which may end up finally turning grey after this experience, "Why is the son of a bitch on Earth anyways?"

"You know the type," boomed Kilowog easily, "We took down his organization and he wants revenge on the guy who did it. You."

"I was dealing with a flippin' smuggler!" said Hal angrily, "What did he expect?!"

"We're positive he entered Earth's atmosphere after picking up signs of debris that matched the pod he used to escape when Ch'p and I were distracted by his allies," said Tomar Re, looking personally affronted at what had occurred.

"Right," said Hal, nodding.

So Kanjar Ro used the last of his allies to get away since the organization was probably done with. The alien had been a major weapons smuggler and responsible for several organized deaths in sector 2814. As of last month, Hal had finally cleared out the man and gotten to arrest the jackass. But he must have had an escape plan routed out, and once he'd gotten arrested by Tomar Re and Ch'p, he'd used it. But to come after Hal was a sign of desperation. He was definitely not thinking straight, and was probably out to get revenge.

"He'll wait for me to come out," said Hal thoughtfully, ignoring the other Lanterns for a minute, "He'll wait until I'm out in the open and then attack. He's probably watching Coast City right now."

After a few more minutes of waiting for Hal's decision on how best to approach the situation, Tomar Re spoke up again, and said stoically, "Have you come up with a plan then, Hal Jordan?"

"Yes," said Hal with a pleased expression, "We'll get the son of a bitch tonight. But first-

* * *

Two hours later, Wally was awake. Hal had created an energy duplicate of himself as Green Lantern, throwing Wally into believing that Hal was required by the Green Lantern himself. Wally had been astounded and looked at Hal with the hero worship commonly reserved for Barry. In exchange for taking Hal away, he was left with his new babysitters. Kilowog and Arisia. And they were fantastic.

"-And that's what the communal mind effect feels like," said Kilowog, finishing his second story about Bolovax Vik, as the kid offered him the entire third drawer of the refrigerater, which Kilowog was more than happy to eat.

The kid was taking notes on this. It was sort of intriguing, for he was absolutely frightened out of his mind, but fascinated as well. Kilowog found the earth boy sort of strange, and at the same time, not a bad feller at all. He was fascinated by Kilowog more than Arisia, presumably because he found the alien-shape of Kilowog more fascinating than Arisia's near-human appearance. It was no surprise, after all.

"This is boring," whined Arisia, flumping on the couch and looking entirely put out, "What do you do here for fun?"

The kid turned bright red as Arisia fixed her stare onto him. The boy looked flustered, and completely out of place. Then it hit Kilowog. Sexual attraction. He'd never pictured little Arisia as a recipient of anyone's attraction before, but obviously this boy was near enough to Arisia's age that he was very much attracted by her. And judging from the way he couldn't meet her eyes or face, Arisia was figuring it out too. Kilowog was at a loss. He had no clue how a person dealt with children and their first ever attraction to someone. It was out of his depth. Best to observe then.

"I- er- um- food?" offered the boy pathetically, holding out the only apple to have slipped from Kilowog's grasp. By now, he had not only finished all of the Flash's food, but he had also eaten away at the shelves and drawers in the refrigerator, and he was finally full.

"No thanks," purred Arisia, a little smile on her face.

Of course. This was the first time Arisia was receiving any attraction from someone. And she was flattered. Kilowog wasn't sure how to take that either, considering he was training Arisia after all. This was a very strange and entirely awful experience. Jordan would pay for this.

The boy went quiet. Wall. Wally. That was his name. He looked so lost and nervous, like he might at any moment disappear. It was an intriguing response. Kilowog was surrounded by hardened members of the Green Lantern corps, and none of those people were the least bit shy. John had been polite and distant in his early days of attraction to Katma, but they were grown men and women. Children in love was strangely refreshing to watch. It wasn't like adults, filled with complications and attitude. It was just, well, innocent. Maybe Jordan wasn't so bad leaving him behind.

"So- yurhhg- Lantern?" the little red head spewed out, and then went pink and ducked his head down, looking ashamed at the lack of verbal communication.

Arisia looked delighted at being acknowledged as a Lantern.

And Kilowog was reminded once again why this situation sucked for him. He had gone from trainer of the toughest Green Lanterns across the universe to babysitter of a play date. Jordan would pay. Heavily.

"Yes I am," said Arisia proudly, "I'm from Graxos VI, in Sector 2815. That's not far from here."

The last bit was tacked on shyly, as she let her dark blue eyes glance at the boy, before dipping downwards. Despite having a head of height on the boy, and being a Green Lantern, she was somehow less intimidating and more attractive to him. Kilowog was baffled.

"What's erghsmm?" asked the boy, his voice swallowed by the mumbles and being caught in the direct crossfire of Arisia's brilliant smile.

"It's lovely! My entire family was from there, and all of them were Green Lanterns," she said, patting the seat beside her. The boy was beside her in seconds. He was definitely part Flash. As she began to regale him about the cities, the large, green moon that lit the sky, the twinkling of the thousand stars, the desert like atmosphere. And the boy absorbed it all.

Then the story switched to her time as Green Lantern. Here, Kilowog was able to interject with his own stories. Like that, time flew, with the boy timidly questioning things and the two delighted to provide answers. So rarely did Green Lanterns have an audience that was willing to hear the stories. And Kilowog found it strange to actually share a story with someone else, instead of just let them see the memories. He was rather good at telling tales.

"What's your life like, on Earth?" asked Arisia suddenly, "Isn't it boring? You should join the core! We always need new recruits, and I think you'd make a great recruit, don't you think Kilowog?"

"Well, it's certainly not a bad idea," said Kilowog hesitantly, "But his uncle may want different things for him."

"Uncle B always wants the best for me!" said the kid suddenly, sparked with interest, "Do you really think I'd make a good Green Lantern?"

"Of course! I could train you! And Kilowog too!" said Arisia happily, clapping her hands together as though she had created a marvellous idea, "In fact-

Then Arisia surprised all of them. She created a ring duplicate, using her willpower. Kilowog and Wally gaped as it fit onto his hand. She beamed at him, and nodded him to try it out. The boy was trembling with sheer delight as he let the ring's energy flow over him, slowly creating a costume that resembled Hal Jordan's in every aspect. Then, Arisia giggled as she used her ring to create a little hand, that brushed off his shoulders and made him stand straight. Amazed, the kid both blushed, and used his ring to create letters saying thank you. Now it was Kilowog's turn to gape.

"That was fantastic! Where on earth did you learn that you poozer?!" he demanded, amazed that the kid had the ability to already create a costume and manipulate the Oan energy with such little training and with no strain at all. He had the signs of an indomitable will, after all. Oh he'd make a great addition to the core. Kilowog could envision it now.

"What?" demanded the boy, absolutely lost, and a little hesitant.

Before Kilowog could answer, the door opened, revealing the costume-less Flash back early from a mission. And then all hell broke loose.

* * *

"What were you even thinking?!" demanded the Flash, hovering over Hal Jordan. The green energy construct version of him as Green Lantern looked equally as nervous as 'Barry' hovered over Hal, while a still costumed Wally sat beside Arisia, the two giggling and sharing tales like best friends. Tomar Re and Ch'p had headed off with Kanjar Ro already.

"We caught the guy," said Hal weakly, "And they needed my help. I'm the best pilot in Coast, after all."

"You left Wally alone to chase after an alien," said Barry, looking upset, "And didn't think maybe to call me or Iris? We have back-up sitters."

"I don't need a sitter," said Wally suddenly, "And Arisia and Kilowog were really nice Uncle Barry."

"I have no doubt," said Barry, looking disturbed at the sight of Wally in his costume, "Er- could you- I don't know, take that off, please?"

The kid automatically let the costume fade away, looking a bit put out while Hal grinned. He received an angry glare from Barry for it, so he schooled his features accordingly. Barry grimaced as Kilowog jumped in, "He's got natural talent! We think he'd be a great addition to the co-

"No," said Barry firmly, "He's too young to enlist."

"But-

"No Wally. No Kilowog," said Barry, glaring at the twin looks of disappointment, "No means no. If he's still interested in eight years, then sure. But for now, no way in hell."

"But-

"No Hal," said Barry icily, "And I think the Green Lanterns should take you home now after putting so much in jeopardy today."

Hal swallowed, and realized that Barry was upset at dragging a civilian into this life. With a sigh, Hal nodded. Arisia looked disappointed. Wally looked aghast and ready to argue as soon as everyone left. Barry cringed, prepared to deal with the fallout and all the hate Wally would give him for this. This would be their first fight. God he felt sick just thinking of it.

"That's too bad," said Arisia with a sigh, and then she turned and surprised them all by placing a quick peck on Wally's lips. The boy turned bright pink, and she smiled as she said, "I'll see in eight years then? It was nice meeting you! Earthlings are sort of fun. Bye Wally."

And then they were gone, leaving Wally and Barry behind. The rest of the night was spent with Barry yelling at Hal over the phone, while Wally dreamed of Graxos IV and the girl who got away. It was only the reassurance that such greetings were common on Graxos IV and that Arisia meant nothing by it that would give Barry easy rest and decide to postpone talking to Wally about girls for another time. Nonetheless, Iris was very confused as to why her entire fridge was emptied of food and shelves and drawers when she returned, or why Hal was so willing to foot the bill.

* * *

**Notes: The first story sort of kind of gives away a bit of a spoiler. Not much, but a little. It's the only thing that really reveals plot details, and I decided it was too little to matter. So, yeah. :D **

**Review Replies: **

Puella Pulchra: Dick will be coming soonish. Can't reveal when, but after Roy.

hoot17: Thank's for the enthusiasm about the fight scene and meeting Roy, and Black Canary helping out. And I'm glad you enjoyed it all!

runwithanime: Not entirely the fill you asked for, but still Hal doing something bad, and Wally got dressed up, right? And yes, Wally will be meeting more people in the distant future. God, I had to reread the last chapter because I've gone so far ahead that I forgot where everyone was at.

Purple Pixie5: Honestly, no worries about not reviewing! I'm just glad you're still reading. As for Kyle, yes and no. That's all I'll say on that matter, and I'll leave it to you to interpret :)

irenerb: Thank you!

better-in-black-since-1234: Aha, thank you! That scene was so much fun to write, and I kept thinking prom for some reason :P

lesbianmagari: Thanks for being so patient with me! And yes, Wally will be meeting new people, Speedy's going to be interesting for sure :P

Queen of deNile: Thank you! And trust me, the plot is definitely sorted out and fabulous and worth the wait.

purplebatman: I wrote a helluva lot, and I'm still not entirely done. But I foresee no future breaks, so I think that it was progress!

Aoka-Chan: Everyone loves Wally. It's just how things work. You have to love Wally.

Guest: That's where I ended up taking things for sure, but also I found out what to do to make the story fabulous and have an actual climax.

Patches the barking kitty: Definitely. I had some idea of how this was ending, but I had no details and I lost focus of the timeline. Thankfully, I have gotten the story back on the rails and not let myself get entirely lost in the plot. As for the suggestions, for now, no. But inevitably when I finish part two, I may write a few drabbles. I plan to take a break when I'm done before posting the extensive sequel I have planned.

Firefox Vixen: Hope it was worth the wait!


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: NEW chapter and I'm still not the owner.**

* * *

**Part Two: Ticking**

**Unregulated Attack**

Barry had no idea where the week was going. They had told Wally on Monday about the possibility of meeting with new heroes, and he'd been ecstatic. Jay had continued his exercises with Wally, unable to figure out how to teach Wally how to regulate his internal speed. He'd made some vague comments about trying to find a friend who could help, but beyond that, Barry and he were at a stand-still on how to best let Wally improve.

"It's like he's lightning," explained Jay to Joan and Iris on Wednesday night, "And all that energy he's got, he can't control it. He needs body contact to get his speed back down, or to burn out all his energy. It's not too bad right now, but as he continues to practice running, it's going to get worse. He's already stepped backwards right now, and it's not good."

"What does that mean?" asked Joan, clutching her tea cup as Iris listened silently.

"He's too fast," said Barry with a growing headache, "Jay said he had his first attack. His body started moving faster than normal on Tuesday, while Joan was out at the grocery store."

"How- What happened?" asked Iris, her eyes wide and terrified.

Jay gave a grimace, before he began to recite the tale.

* * *

_It had started in an ordinary training exercise. Knowing that Wally had conquered external control had made Jay pleased. But t he had no internal control, and no matter how happy Jay was about his external control, he was terrified of what Wally's irregularity could mean. And Jay was stuck working off of theory and nightmares. Jay had reread and memorized the notes that he'd dug up on the experiment that Wally had written. Mostly, they were similar to Barry's notes, but Wally''d postulated ratios that Barry hadn't been able to guess with the same exactness. After all, Barry had been working off of memory. Even Jay had no idea how his own experiment's ratios would work if he were to duplicate it._

_ Furthermore, the external chemicals that could have been a part of the experiment from the roof had to be taken into account. It was a factor not involved in Jay or Barry's experiments. The roof had been repainted one week prior to the experiment. Whatever possible chemicals on Wally's body, chemicals from the rain, so many external factors that Jay just couldn't dissect. He wasn't a scientist. He was just an ordinary jock who had invested his life into science after a freak accident. _

_ So here he was, sitting with Wally, and trying to make the best of a bad situation. Barry trusted him. Wally trusted him. Iris trusted him. And he couldn't let them down. Now if only he could track down that guy. Then he'd have someone to trust too. _

_ "How much longer do I have to keep bouncing this ball?" asked Wally, looking annoyed as he tossed the rubber ball to the ground, and then caught it again. _

_ For the last half hour Wally had been instructed to toss the ball at an even pace. Slowly, Jay was talking to him, increasing and decreasing speed. Wally's job was to talk to Jay, while bouncing the ball. The activity was more externally concentrated than Jay liked, but it was the best he could come up with that was indoors. At the very least, the ball's momentum was something that Wally had to watch and was an external factor that Wally could sense. He couldn't risk taking Wally on another run until he knew exactly how Wally's power was developing. If the shock of speed from the weekend had changed things. So far, his reports said nothing. But then, his reports weren't exact. _

_Jesus this was tiring. _

_ "Until you can change your internal speed without changing the speed of that ball," said Jay very quickly, and Wally scowled. The kid had picked up the external speed just fine, and as if on cue, his body was reacting to the stimulus. He had gone faster. The ball was practically pummelling the wood below it. He hoped Barry and Iris had a great contractor to fix all the new wears and tears in this place. _

_ "__It's hard!" whined Wally, as Jay continued to keep his pace light and quick. Wally was struggling to return the ball to it's original speed. He had nothing to compare it to, and thus, his internal speedometer was unable to return to normal. Why had he never picked this up before in all their previous training? He had thought Wally was developing internal limits. The kid had no limits. He honest to god didn't know what normal speed for his body was. And he was way too comfortable in the faster zones for Jay's taste. _

_ "Alright, come on down kid," said Jay with a sigh, returning to original speed. _

_ Wally stared at him. There was a frown on his face, so Jay repeated the words again. But Wally just shook his head. It was garbled. Jay's frown deepened. He came over to the kid and pressed his hand into Wally's, but without touching the kid he knew the kid was moving at ten times the normal human pace. _

_ "Come back kid, slow down. You've done this before," said Jay calmly, rubbing circles into Wally's wrist. _

_ But his hand was on the ball, bouncing it fast and tirelessly against the floor. KnockKnockKnockKnock. Wally just wasn't slowing down. That- That was not a good sign. Jay scowled ferociously. He placed both hands on Wally, trying to get the kid to pace against Jay's heart. But his body was in the upper speeds, and he was just too damn comfortable. _

_ It was just as Jay had predicted. The kid's internal controls and sensors were completely off. The faster the speeds, the better he felt. Last week it had just been his mind that was relaxed in high speeds. Now his body had gotten a taste, and it was like a hit of cocaine. He was craving the high of speed, and unlike a drug addict, he had it right at his finger tips. Instead of teaching the kid any control, Jay had only worsened the problem by exposing the kid to higher speeds and allowing his body to access that higher speed. _

_ "Jay- JayIcan'tstop!" cried Wally, his eyes wide and terrified as he realized he couldn't slow down. He was panicking, his breathing increasing and the speed only rising. _

_Fucking Christ. _

_ It was probably the worst thing to do in that situation. But Jay sped his own molecules, his own body up, and knocked the ball away from Wally. It bounced uselessly on the floor, eventually slowing to a stop. It left a skid mark on the ground where it had rolled. Joan would get that later. Right now he had a terrified speeding kid to deal with. _

_ "I can't stop!" cried Wally again, shaking now from the speed vibrations. The couch was creaking at the contact, "It- I- I can't slow down! Why can't I slow down?!" _

_ "It's okay kid," said Jay, scooping Wally into his arms, and the boy welcomed the contact, burrowing into Jay in a half hug, half monkey-around-his-neck sort of move. He felt the kid's hand reach his pulse, feeling the vein in his neck. The boy's head was plastered to his chest. Jay took a deep breath, and slowed down, to an even slower than normal speed. _

_ He felt Wally struggling, trying to slow down his body and failing. Jay had no idea how to do this. They must have sat like that for close to a half hour before the speed began to leave Wally's body, and he was able to once again gain control over his unregulated speedometer, and the boy's body slowed down. Wally was shaking as he came back to normal. _

_ The first thing Jay did was take his heart rate. Slightly above normal. _

_ "How'd you come down kid?" asked Jay gently, rubbing small circles into Wally's back. _

_ "I- I did the focus thing- with your speed," said Wally shyly. _

_ Right. _

_ "I meant, why'd it take so long? Tell me what happened." prompted Jay. _

_"__I- I couldn't slow down. I don't know why, but it was really hard to slow down. I just- I wanted to stay fast," said Wally slowly, relieving the experience but looking nervous despite his even tone, "I kept trying to slow down, but it was like- I couldn't. I just- It was too hard. Then after a while I could tell everything around me was really slow, so I just had to focus on you. It took forever, but I mean, I got it slowly. And then I was coming down, and it was working. I just- I don't know how." _

_ Wonderful. _

_ "It's okay," said Jay gently, not wanting to scare the kid, "It's fine. At least we know what's going on. For now, let's skip the English homework. I'll read it to you, and just focus on that." _

_ "What about the exercises?" asked Wally with confusion in his eyes. _

_ "I think we've had enough speed today," said Jay firmly, not wanting the kid to realize how shaken Jay was from what had happened. __To his credit, Wally just nodded. Jay didn't miss the relief in the kid's eyes as his shoulders relaxed, and he settled in beside Jay on the couch and let the older man read to him. Lightly Jay stroked the red head's hair beside him, until Wally eventually fell asleep. His energy was burnt out from their little scare. Jay stayed beside the kid, in deep thought, still petting his head. That was how Joan found them a half hour later. _

* * *

Barry listened to the story with growing frustration. Just great. Iris was pale as she sat beside him, and Joan looked unfazed, but her eyes were troubled. Either Joan had already heard the story, or she was just that unflappable. Both were strong possibilities.

"So, what does that mean?" asked Iris slowly.

"It means that each time he goes into upper speeds, he's going to get an attack like that," said Jay softly, "I need to run more tests, but the idea is pretty simple. Every time Wally uses his speed, he's going to get an aftershock, probably matching the momentum he used earlier, until he burns out of energy or regains control. Whether the his hit occurs immediately after using his speed or not is still undetermined, but we'll have to play it by ear. There's also the fact that it could just be in higher speeds and there's a limit. There's a lot of theory we're working with."

"So, that means he can't run," said Barry, his own fear striking at his heart. A speedster who couldn't run was worse than a speedster without his legs. At least without your legs the temptation wouldn't exist. To be perfectly healthy and able, and yet be unable to run, that would be the worst kind of torture.

"I don't know," said Jay heavily.

"Isn't there anyone who can provide a second opinion?" asked Joan, speaking up for the first time, her eyes still troubled, but less so. "Weren't you trying to get in contact with the others?"

"I'm hoping they'll have answers," said Jay with a nod, "But we're such a small community as it is that the possibility of the other guys having any more answers than I do is unlikely."

"I- I worked with the Atom before," said Barry suddenly, "I bet if I gave him a sample of Wally's DNA he could test it against his experiments with mine."

"That's not a bad plan," said Jay with a relieved sigh, and then a stern expression, "Did you talk to your acquaintance who can get the documents to move the kid into a specialized program?"

"He's working on it as we speak," said Barry with a smile, glad something was working out.

"So he's still in high-school then?" asked Joan curiously.

"The program is simple," said Iris with a nod, still pale and shaken as she spoke, almost distantly with her eyes glazed over, "He's going to be placed in the Special Education program, under the claim that he has dyslexia and attention deficit disorder. If the speed attack's are an issue, then we'll have to create another false claim, but the idea is that he'd be in special classes and relearning control within them. Jay would become a certified teacher and work with Wally during school hours about regaining control and therapy. Jay would run through the basics of the curriculum with Wally as well."

"And then when he's got control, he'll return to the normal school system as a grade nine student in his Honors classes with occasional mentoring from Jay," added Barry with a small smile, "That way he's not missing school and he's in the system. Home-school was an option, but that would just isolate the kid, and we don't need to put more stress on his parents once they find out."

"Don't you think it's time to tell them?" asked Joan sternly. She hadn't ever mentioned her feelings on the matter, but Barry was now starting to get the sense that she disapproved greatly of their decision, and he suddenly felt a little ashamed.

"When the time is right," said Iris, her mouth set in a firm line as she clenched her cup in her hand, almost crushing it.

"These are a lot of decisions you two are making that _should_ have parental approval," said Joan gently, looking at the both of them with sympathy. The unspoken words hung loud and clear in the air.

"After the anniversary," said Barry with a tight nod.

Joan pursed her lips, but didn't say anything. Her disapproval was clear enough. And Barry couldn't help but hope that Joan would be wrong just this once.

* * *

**So, first off, I'm putting my notes here, so I can discuss points in the chapter too, y'know? So, I know little to nothing about how actual Special Education programs work. But for the sake of the story, I needed a specialized program, and this worked best. Second, this chapter wasn't actually planned, but I thought it would be a great recap of all the issues that have come up since Wally got his speed, and also of future indicators of problems Wally's having. Little things, y'know? Plus, I got some Gramps!Jay stuff that totally suited the moment. I love Jay and Joan Garrick, they're just so, parental. **

**Also, yeah, Lanterns. Anyways, a glimpse of the next chapter (this new thing I've decided to do like right now) **

_**Roy and the Arrow family dynamics. They prepare to meet this new sidekick **_

Review Replies:

Purple Pixie5: Pretty much. I'm shit at being mysterious, aren't I? And yeah, those were fun to write :D

Sassbrat: Thank you! I love the Green Lanterns, so it was fun to write ;)

runwithanime: That's a pretty awesome prompt! I'll save it for the in-between prompts I may or may not end up doing in the future, y'know? Hal and Batman's relationship is so great, they're just so, anti-each-other, and yet, so awesome.

lesbianmagari: Thank you! And yep, Kilowog makes a great babysitter. And for some reason, I just think impulsive Barry proposal is sweeter than 'pulsive Barry proposal.

Puella Pulchra: That has yet to be revealed, but pretty much that story is sort of/kind of a sequel to events that will occur in the future. And yeah, Lanterns being babysitters is pretty amazing :D I want Kilowog to babysit me if only that wasn't such a waste of his time.

AMMO-121: It's totally fine! And I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter!

Grayson-3: Haha, yeah. That's why it took so long to write, because each request turned into a mini-chapter/story. I'm so glad you liked it! I felt so bad about not doing the other Batman requests, but well, I really don't want to introduce Robin in a one-shot, y'know? It feels wrong, and there's so much about the Robin and Kid-Flash dynamic that I want to work out in story before extending outwards. And Ollie and Hal are my favorite. It's so hard not to write them into every chapter, especially since they're so cynical and snarky. And that part was pretty fun to write :) I think Hal takes pride in pissing Batman off, cause you know, he's the man with no fear, and Batman's supposed to embody fear.

MorbidCheese: I love GL interactions! Especially with the Flash family. In my head, Flashes, Bats, GL's and Arrows are like tied for most awesome (with Flash family being a smidge ahead, and Bats and GL's vying for second place until the Arrows do something snarky and sweet and then blow them away for a little bit) And I love writing Hal. He practically writes himself. And trust me, I know what it means to adore the Flash and GL family. I spent weeks agonizing over the last story, because it's so easy to write Kilowog bad, or to mess up Arisia and turn her into a brat or a skank, or to mess Tomar Re or Ch'p up. It took every fiber of my being to not introduce John and Katma at the moment, or Guy (But in my universe, Guy's not GL yet so that made it a bit easier) And that was such a short snippet of Kid Lantern. I may do a Kid Lantern fic in the future, but for now, probably not. I have a lot of Wally-centric fics planned, two of which I plan to release in December/January. As for John-Wally, it's coming up (But towards the end of this story, sadly)

As for the relationship thing, I haven't actually thought about it. At this point, there will be no ship in this story. The sequel though, things get muddy. meh. And I really want to watch GLTAS but I haven't had time to sit it through. It's so sad that I mean, like Sherlock, it took me over a week to get through six episodes. And I haven't actually gotten to the sixth yet .

MythologyGirl: Thank you! Yeah, Lanterns are pretty awesome :)


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